


NEO CITY. [MarkHyuck]

by nctisgay



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Corruption, Dark deeds, Guns, JaeYong - Freeform, Kidnapping, Luwoo, M/M, Mafia NCT, Mark Lee & Lee Taeyong Are Siblings, Mark Lee (NCT) is Dumb, Murder, NCT 2019, Robbery, and many more ships xoxo, at first heehee, but there are many many side ships, chensung - Freeform, donghyuck is a dumb bitch, donghyuck is just a city boy, everyone is pretty much gay lmao, featuring EXO, featuring Seventeen, featuring lee felix as donghyuck's bff, it's a mafia, it's kinda dark but pretty cool, johnten, know what to expect, markhyuck is the main ship, norenmin, so NCT is a mafia, there's the four units 127 U Dream and Wayv, they're called Neo City
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-28
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2020-05-19 18:45:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 53,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19362394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nctisgay/pseuds/nctisgay
Summary: It's all fun and games till you walk down the wrong alley at the wrong time and almost get shot in the head by South Korea's most powerful mafia boss's younger (and quite incredibly, mind-blowingly attractive) brother, Mark Lee.[NCT MAFIA AU.]





	1. Mario Kart, Illegal Shit, Twice.

"Hyuckie, don't leave yet! I'll be bored as fuck the second you step out the door."

Donghyuck pouted dramatically, turning on his heel to face the other boy.

"But I have to feed my cat! Technically, I was supposed to feed him a half hour ago but you insisted on saying you could beat me in Mario Kart. So I just had to prove you wrong.  _Fourteen times_ , to be exact.  _Bitch_."

His best friend stood up with an exaggerated sigh as Donghyuck got his shoes on, rolling his eyes heavily at his all but normal best friend.

"Plus I'll literally be back here tomorrow, Lix." Donghyuck reminded, raising a brow at the younger who was now dramatically sprawled out on the floor.

"I'll have to play Fortnite by myself!"

"Oh, poor, poor you. I'll see you in less than 7 hours."

Donghyuck leaned down, placing a kiss on his best friend's head of hair. Felix rolled onto his back.

"Be careful, okay? It's dark out. Text me when you're home."

Donghyuck nodded, gently flicking the boy's forehead before making his way to the door and into the night.

"Bye, Lix. Don't burn the fucking house down."

"Hate you too, Hyuckie!"

Chuckling to himself, Donghyuck wandered off his best friend's porch and into the calming nighttime, where very few street lights barely gave him enough light to see. He didn't mind though, he always walked home after a late night at Felix's. As much of a crack addict Donghyuck acted like with his best friend, he genuinely enjoyed his walks home on warm, summer nights like this. _It brought him closer to nature,_  he'd like to say.

He carefully made his way a block down off Felix's street, down into the city where neon signs laminated his path a little better, and where people,  _and some prostitutes,_ roamed the streets. The best part of town?  _No._  The quickest way to get home to his cat?  _Yes._ And Donghyuck swore not even Satan himself could stop him from getting to the most important animal on the planet.

Donghyuck wasn't about that  _gang gang do cocaine_ life, even though with the lazy way he was dressed tonight, he could easily be mistaken for a drug dealer or perhaps a member of a gang. If you were to actually get to know him though, he'd just turn out to be your average, sassy, sometimes diva city boy who's only current goal in life was to walk to his best friend's house every day and play video games.

_That was, however, until now._

With one earbud in, Donghyuck continued his path down the city blocks, keeping his attention up for any kidnappers while  _Signal_ by  _Twice_ blasted through his earbuds. He turned down his music, however, though he didn't even need to because the yell that rang through the night was much louder than Jihyo and Nayeon's singing. The boy ripped his earbuds out of his phone completely, pausing his music, and quickly glancing around the empty streets. Yeah, as much as Donghyuck said he wanted to die sometimes, he didn't really want to go out like this. So, with a swift turn, he beelined down the nearest alley, quickening his pace with every step, hoping to get away from any potential threats to his existence.

That's when he heard the aggravated voices.

_"Forget it, Mark. I told you how much we wanted. And you did not meet our demand. Therefore, you know the punishment."_

Donghyuck froze, listening to the conversation that had to be happening just ahead of him around the corner. Mere yards from where he was currently standing. Yeah, he should probably walk away right now.

_"The price you set was unacceptable. We told you how much we'd pay when we first agreed on the deal. You're the one who went ahead and changed it without contacting me, my unit, or our boss."_

Donghyuck's heart straight up almost leaped out of his chest. Now, as much of a sassy smartass he was, Donghyuck had never been in any type of serious trouble with really anything. The law, especially. And he was ninety-nine percent sure that there was some kind of illegal drug deal occurring. And he was standing here witnessing every word. And it didn't seem to be going too great.

Taking a short breath, Donghyuck, as quiet as humanly possible, turned on his heel.  _I'm in the clear_ , he thought, as long as he was quiet and continued on away from the very illegal crime, no punishment would prevail.

Right then, however, was when he regretted every decision leading up to this point in his life.

_"I wanna know, know, know, know, what is love?"_

It was in that moment, at the loudest possible volume for his ringer to be on, his Twice-themed  _What Is Love?_  ringtone echoed brightly throughout the night, surely alerting everybody in the area of Donghyuck's existence. It was as if the person calling him wanted him to die.

Not ten seconds later, his ringtone still as loud as can be from inside his jean pocket, Donghyuck, still frozen with paralyzing fear in his spot, had finally gotten the courage to turn it off. And he turned around, his plan was to check and bolt, when in fact he found himself being that dumb bitch in the movies. 

Because, as of now, a gun was being aimed at his head, the face of a boy behind it who didn't look too thrilled. Dark eyebrows furrowed, black hair partly back off of the shooter's pale forehead, sharpened jawline, high cheekbones, and the glare from seemingly wide, soft eyes now practically digging holes into Donghyuck's skin.

The said boy felt his stomach and internal organs flip inside out, all moisture being sucked from his mouth as his eyes widened. Just like that, he lost all his breath.  _Welp, you really did it now, Donghyuck._

"O-Oh. Oh, I am so sorry? I am so sorry. If you c-could just- not shoot-"

"You're coming with me."

_Fuck._

"Or you could just... let me g-"

Donghyuck cut himself off when he saw a second boy appear from behind the first one, gun aimed for Donghyuck as well.  _No, this couldn't be happening._

"We have to shoot him. It's the rule, Mark."

_Mark._

The boy with the black hair, Mark, never pardoned his glare nor his gun from Donghyuck. Donghyuck, in return, was shaking and holding in tears and thinking of everything he should have done with his life. He really didn't want to get shot by these two attractive men, as weird as that was. The boy, Mark, moved his gaze from the other man back to Donghyuck. He did his best to keep calm under the shooter's intimidating stare that scanned up and down his body, not in a pleasant way or the way Donghyuck would have liked it if he wasn't currently being held at gunpoint.

"Come with me."

"But-"

"If you keep talking, you'll regret it. Come with me"

Donghyuck gulped back his words, swallowing the nonexistent spit in his mouth as the other not-Mark boy grabbed his arm, in a tight grip.  _Who were these people? What did Donghyuck just get himself into?_  Oh, no. He wouldn't go out without a fight. He had to get out of this. He had to live to tell Felix and get home to his goddamn cat.

"HELP! HELP PLEASE-"

Donghyuck was sure he got punched when his body was forced in the other direction, but the pain didn't surface till a few seconds after. He tasted blood in his mouth, and there was a bad sting in his jaw. And it hurt so badly tears sprung to his eyes at last, before he began the stage of hyperventilating. He didn't try and scream for help again, in fear of more beating, while the man dragged him deeper into the alley behind the building, throwing him onto the ground brutally.

"I'll do it. Mark, we're not done with his deal though, do you hear me? We'll plan for a different time, with the correct money. You can go."

Donghyuck, wiping his eyes, looked over at Mark, who was standing by a car, the gun now resting at his side. Under the dimmed light, Donghyuck noticed Mark was wearing a suit, and so was the gu in front of him. Different colors, however.  _What was this? A gang? A cult?_

"I'll take care of this one, Hansol. I know you're busy with other matters tonight, or so I've heard from your unit." Mark spoke up with a firm nod, his eyes then moving to Donghyuck who helplessly looked back at him.

"Are you sure, Mark?"

"Yes, hyung. I'll take care of it."

Hansol, the supposed boy in front of him, stepped back, lowering his gun as Donghyuck took a shaky breath. It didn't matter though, he would still be shot by Mark, right? Was this really it? He didn't even get a proper job yet, or move out of the city with Felix like their plan was.  _Was he really about to be shot?_

"Alright, we'll be in touch, Mark. I'll speak to Jihoon about our deal."

Mark, while slowly approaching Donghyuck (who was looking for a chance to escape), waved at Hansol who got in a black car and peeled out of the alley way. Noticing that Mark was watching the car leave down the corner, Donghyuck quickly scrambled up on his feet and tried to bolt. He wasn't the most graceful person on the planet, unfortunately. A hand grabbed his shirt before he could even fully stand up, and he was shoved against the brick wall behind him, a gun now to his temple. Donghyuck gasped, closing his eyes and pushing his hand out to try and push the boy off of him.

"W-What the fuck is wrong with you!" Donghyuck exclaimed, slowly opening his eyes.

His mouth went dry again, and he involuntarily swallowed as he realized exactly how close the boy's face was to his own. He was eye-locked with Mark, the metal revolver of the gun still pressed to his temple, a hand pressing down on Donghyuck's shoulder and collarbone, preventing him from moving. Donghyuck could now easily see just how fair the boy's skin was, how clean, and how diligently his face was shaped. Calling him attractive was an understatement, and Donghyuck had no goddamn clue why these thoughts were even a thing in the first place.

_"So, you're not gonna beg for your life?"_

The silence was broken, and Donghyuck wasn't sure how long he had just been staring at the same guy that was holding a pistol to his head, but to say the least, he almost pissed himself when the other spoke.

"It's kind of hard when you're right in my face." Donghyuck retorted, without much thought process beforehand.

_Great going._

Mark just laughed. Literally, right in the boy's face. Donghyuck jumped at the sudden click and movement of the gun beside his head.

"NO! No, please. Please don't shoot me. Please. _Mark, is it?_  I promise, if you let me go I won't tell a soul about anything and we can both go our separate ways."

"I can't let that happen."

"And why not? You don't have to tell your gang, or whatever you're apart of-"

"I can't risk it."

"Do you really want to kill me?" Donghyuck blurted, his eyes wide and heart racing as he looked into the eyes of this boy.

Mark huffed, easing the revolver a little away from Donghyuck's temple.

"Why do you think I'm stalling? Let's go, before the police come. But if you scream, I will not hesitate to shoot you. Understand? You will listen to me and only me. You stay quiet, and you keep moving. If I tell you to do something, you do it. Remember who has the gun here."

An astonished, yet somewhat relieved Donghyuck nodded shakily, about to open his mouth when Mark shushed him. A second later muffled sirens were heard in the distance.

"Alright. Let's go."

Mark grabbed Donghyuck by the arm, his grip a little less crushing than the other boy's, though he still held the gun close to Donghyuck's side as he was forced into a run down the back of the alley.

"Why didn't you-"

"Shut up!"

Donghyuck closed his mouth, for once obeying the other boy as he was dragged to another black car. A Tesla?  _No fucking way._

"Get in."

The door to the very expensive car, worth more than Donghyuck's life combined with Felix's, opened vertically before he was pushed inside. Donghyuck sat back in the comfortable leather seat, wide-eyed and completely and utterly petrified, but confused and had so many questions at the same time. Mark appeared seconds later in the driver's seat with something in his right hand other than the gun. It was when Mark suddenly reached towards him, did he go into defense mode.

"DON'T FUCKING TOUCH ME YOU PERV-"

"I NEED TO PUT THIS BLINDFOLD ON YOU!"

The gun came back out and Donghyuck was pacified instantly, as Mark once again reached towards him, and soon, a black cloth was pressed over his eyes and tied around the back of his head.

"Another word and you won't like what comes next. Okay?"

The car started, and Donghyuck felt everything purr to life below and around him. Wow, it felt like they were about to take off into space. Soon though, they were peeling out, and Donghyuck almost slammed his face against the dashboard. Continuing to fear for his life, the boy held onto anything he could as he was forced back in his seat by the speed of the car. The scariest thing was, he couldn't see a damn thing.

Donghyuck took this time to do a quick mental check. So, he was walking home from Felix's, going to feed his cat (the most important and vital creature to his existence), he walked down an alley,  _Twice_  came on, he was held at gunpoint by a really attractive man, punched in the face by another man, almost murdered- two times, and now he was being kidnapped by the same attractive man in a suit named  _Mark_. Oh yeah,  _and his jaw still hurt like a fucking bitch._

Donghyuck tried to remember what he was supposed to do in a kidnapping.  _Should he be counting the minutes he was in the car?_  No, he should have started counting five minutes ago. Should he try and start throwing hands? No, the guy had a gun.  _A gun... therefore why wasn't Donghyuck already dead?_

"Why didn't you shoot me?" He asked quietly, unable to hold back the question he tried asking before.

He got no response, and over the sound of the Tesla's powerful engine, and the rapid movement of the tires against the pavement to wherever this boy was taking him, he wasn't sure if he just didn't hear Mark. Donghyuck took a shaky breath.  _Would this be it? Was the last option just to accept fate?_

"H-Hey. If I'm gonna die, I just want somebody to know that... I really love my best friend Felix. And my cat, Sunny. I'll miss her. I'll miss seeing Felix's face every day and beating him in Mario Kart. A-And... I just wish I could have lived to see another city other than Seoul. And I wish I could have fallen in love, or something, if that's even a thing. Thanks, for not killing me right away, I guess. If we die now-"

Donghyuck didn't get the chance to finish the rest of his speech, instead, a hand came around to the back of his head, and a cloth was pressed over his mouth and nose. And slowly, everything got duller, and softer, and slower. 

_Until everything stopped._

_Fucking Twice._


	2. Mark Lee, Well Fuck, NEO CITY.

_"And you thought this was a good idea, Mark?"_

_"I wasn't about to shoot him. The police were right around the corner. I don't think I would have been able to kill him and get out of there quick enough without being caught."_

_"Does Boss know?"_

_"No."_

_"Great. Well, don't keep the secret for long. You know the consequence of keeping secrets."_

_"I'm aware. Thanks, hyung. I'll be in touch soon."_

Donghyuck's mind was a big hazy mess, and his eyes wouldn't even fully open when he wanted them too. He felt like he was hungover, even though he's never been hungover before, but he had a feeling it felt a lot like this.  _Was he at Felix's?_

At last, his eyes fluttered open, struggling instantly to focus on the figure in front of him. He was going to stand up when he felt that his wrists were tied tightly together behind his back.  _Oh, fuck. He forgot he'd been fucking abducted._

"This will go quickly and easily if you follow my directions, alright?"

Donghyuck blinked a few times, finally meeting the eyes of one really tall man that towered over him, making Donghyuck feel even smaller than he already was. The man had a unique visual, still handsome nonetheless if Donghyuck was seeing straight (which he was never the best at). He was dressed in a suit as well, the dark red color sitting nicely against the man's pale skin and dark brown hair that was partly gelled back.

But the tall man was so alluring, however, that he didn't notice the other figure in the room.

"This is Lee Donghyuck. Lives on  _7th Street_  in complex  _Timeless Apartments_ number 128. He resides there alone with a cat, and leaves every morning around 11:00 am. He is close with somebody named Lee Felix, not related though. His parents kicked him out after he-"

"Excuse me!" Donghyuck exclaimed as the boy speaking stepped into the light.

He was in a black room, as he now started to get to his senses, unable to see really how big it was. There was one light hanging from the ceiling that shined annoyingly brightly down on him and the two men. The second man, who was also just as attractive, had a sharper look to him. And was literally reciting Donghyuck's whole life as if it was the world's biggest known fact.

"Lives downtown?"

"Yeah. He intercepted on the deal with Mark and a client Hansol from  _SVT_. Mark told me Hansol was going to shoot him. Why didn't he just let him and have Hansol deal with the consequences? Now we have to deal with this."

Donghyuck gave both the men a wide-eyed look as they conversed over his life. And the words just tumbled out of his mouth, as they do a lot.

"Can I ask where the  _fuck_  I am?"

The sharper looking one, not the tall one, turned to him and Donghyuck swore he was almost sent into a gay panic. Why was his gaze so harsh like that?

"No, not right now-"

"We're a mafia called  _Neo City._ Our Boss is Lee Taeyong and his younger brother, who's the Underboss, is Mark Lee. I'm the Picciotto and this is Doyoung, our associate who-"

"Johnny! Shut up!

The sharp-looking one slapped the taller one on the arm who dramatically cried out in pain, and soon they started arguing over the whole thing. Donghyuck shook his head.  _No_ , this was just one big dream. He's dreaming that these hot mafia guys in suits kidnapped him. No big deal, he would just wake up soon.

"You need to ask procedure questions!"

"And _you_  need to get your head out of my ass because it's there all the damn time-"

_"Can I not trust you two with any situation?"_

The voice,  _that_  voice. Donghyuck squirmed around, squinting into the darkroom, _like that would help him see better_ , just as the same man that took Donghyuck's breath away stepped into the light. Doyoung, who Donghyuck assumed was the sharper-looking one, glared at Mark.

"Oh, okay. Who's fault is this again, Mark Lee?"

"Not now, hyung. All I asked was that you talked to him."

Donghyuck watched the men talk, his eyes fixated on the same boy that just walked in.  _The mere power that this man held_ , Donghyuck thought. Mark Lee, the underboss of a mafia? Donghyuck had just fucked with the underboss of a mafia. A really, incredibly, ridiculously, attractive underboss of a mafia. And the Picciotto. This couldn't be real.  _Why wasn't he waking up yet?_

"This needs to be sorted out in an hour, or I'm talking to Ten and Kun. Do you hear me?" Doyoung gave a serious, knowing look towards Mark, who simply nodded.

"Yes, hyung."

"Great. Have fun."

"You're not staying?"

"Hell no. I said  _you_  sort this out. I have more important matters to take care of and I need Johnny for all of them."

Johnny gave Mark a begging plea. For a tall ass man that was supposed to be intimidating, he sure didn't act like it when he didn't need to be towering over people and making them feel like little elf folk.

"Fine. Don't kill each other, please." Mark puffed out his cheeks and waved his hand at them, and Donghyuck quickly realized it was the cutest thing he's ever seen.

"No promises." Doyoung rolled his eyes sassily, dragging Johnny away by the sleeve and disappearing into the blackness of the room.

Donghyuck, at this point, was just tired and wanted to go home. Sure, he was still scared shitless and was beyond the point of confusion and had so many questions, but he was just about done with being kidnapped for today. He missed his cat. And now, he was left alone with the underboss of a mafia who was currently standing in front of him, texting away on his phone.  _Fucking perfect._

Donghyuck watched the boy, blinking a few times as he shifted his hands in the rope. He was getting bolder and bolder the more and more Mark just ignored him and stayed on his phone.  _Like hell this boy was going to kill him now if he didn't do it before._

"I have a question," Donghyuck stated, attempting to raise his hand.

"Well, actually, _I have quite a fucking few_. Why did that guy know everything about me? Where the fuck am I? Who the fuck are you? What the fuck is this? And why won't you let me go? Huh, douchebag? Am I supposed to be shaking right now? Am I being recorded? Am I on  _Pranked_? Where's the fucking camera?"

"You talk so much. And you're loud. Bad combination."

Donghyuck glared, watching Mark shut off his phone and step closer, his hands in the pockets of his dress pants. That  _stupidly attractive_ look on his face made Donghyuck want to stand up and slap it off the boy's diligently shaped cheekbones.

"Don't look at me like that."

"This is my face, Donghyuck."

The way Donghyuck bit his tongue when Mark said his name was almost enough to draw blood, for the love of god. Mark crouched in front of him so they were both eye level. Donghyuck gave the boy a disgusted look.

"Get away from me."

"We're a mafia called  _Neo City_  if Johnny already didn't spoil it. I'm the underboss, second in command. My older brother, Taeyong is our boss. Johnny is our Picciotto, he threatens people. Doyoung, the one who knew everything about you, is our associate, and he knows everything about everybody. There are four units,  _127, U, DREAM,_ and _WAYV._ Those of which you will know about soon and the people within them."

Donghyuck went stiff, his eyes wide as he stared at this boy, who was seriously supposed to be an underboss of a mafia.  _Why did Mark just tell him all of this?_

"Why are you telling me this?"

Donghyuck watched as Mark's mouth pressed into a line, the two still remaining eye contact anyways. That's when Donghyuck saw it. He saw the softness glaze over Mark's eyes for just a second, and they seemed to sparkle as the boy continued to gaze at Donghyuck. Though, as quickly as it came, it left and was replaced with seriousness.

"Because you'll need to know for the future."

Donghyuck felt his heart skip a beat. What did that even mean? What was going to happen to him? Donghyuck sucked in a small breath. Whatever would happen though, he didn't think he'd ever see Felix again, or his cat. Or play Mario Kart, that was for sure. And, before he knew it, his eyes began to water without his consent.

"Why can't you just let me go? I want to go home, _please_." Donghyuck mumbled harshly, locking his wavering gaze with Mark's.

"You won't be going home."

Donghyuck scoffed, the tears for sure visible on his cheeks at this point though he couldn't find the heart to give a shit.

"Then why don't you get it over with and kill me, huh? What the hell is taking you so long? For an underboss, you're pretty fucking pathetic and cowardly. If I was out of these damn ropes I'd punch you right in the jaw and see how  _you_  like it. So what's the holdup? Are you going to shoot me, Mark Lee?" Donghyuck spat, attempting to inch closer so he was right in Mark's face.

Mark didn't display any emotion though, and it was as if Donghyuck just hadn't said anything. Which pissed him off even more. He couldn't read Mark like he wanted to, and instead, it was as it Mark was reading him by the way the boy's eyes were tracing over his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Mark chuckled, and it was so sudden and unexpected it almost made Donghyuck laugh too. This boy had a weird effect on him, and he was trying to figure out why when really Donghyuck hated everything about this human except maybe his face.  _Okay_ , he was attractive. Anybody else with eyes would think the same, so sue him.

"I'm trying to figure out how exactly this will go and exactly how many brain cells I'm going to lose trying to make it work."

Donghyuck tilted his head slightly, one eyebrow raised as Mark stood up and took a step back, taking out his phone to where he started texting away again. The boy in the ropes almost screamed in frustration.

"You better tell me what is going on right now, or I swear I will fucking get out of these ropes and strangle you with them,  _pretty boy_."

Mark looked up from his phone, the glow off the screen catching the boy's features in a unique way and it made Donghyuck even angrier. And, Mark Lee has that serious dead look back on his face, even when he spoke.

"You're staying with us. You'll go through a system here where you will be tested and one day maybe become apart  _Neo City_ if Boss approves and once you've earned the trust of every member. We have a no-kill policy here for innocent people, so this is the way it has to be. You either accept, or we'll hand you off to another mafia that  _will_ kill you with no hesitation. Do you understand me?"

Donghyuck felt every single one of Mark's words hit him like a  _fucking_ truck, with each word making him lose his breath more and more until it was finally all gone. His mouth once again went dry as he gave Mark a wide-eyed look.  _There was no fucking way on this planet that he himself, Lee Donghyuck, was going to be apart of a mafia._

"N-No way. No way."

"Do you accept? I would like to know now, I have other matters I need to be attending to."

Donghyuck narrowed his eyes, and he couldn't practically feel the sweat dripping down his forehead. He was shaking, dear god.  _What should he do? It was either joining a mafia, or death._

"Will I be able to see Felix ever again?" Donghyuck forced the question out of his throat because if he held it back any longer, he might have started crying again.

Mark looked at him this time, locking eyes with him.

"I'm sorry, but no. It's highly unlikely."

Donghyuck choked back a sob, leaning his head back against the wall. Not seeing Felix's dorky smile every day, and hearing his dumb Australian accent was something Donghyuck couldn't live with. Not seeing his best friend was the equivalent to suicide, it felt like. So, he sat there, cursing Mark, cursing himself, and cursing whatever higher power put him in this position. And he thought long and hard about what on  _fucking god_  he was going to do.

Five minutes, which felt like five years passed, and Mark had looked up from his phone down at the boy on the ground.

"Have you made up your mind?"

Donghyuck swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at the man in the suit, and stared at him hard for a couple of seconds. He couldn't believe what he was about to say. Even then, he knew, he would find every way he could get out of this place. He just had to play along for a little while. And if there was one thing Donghyuck was good at, it was  _lying_.

"I..."

Donghyuck took a deep breath.

_"I'll stay."_


	3. DREAM, Headassery, “Big Bad” Mark.

"Listen to me. All of you.”

"We're listening, hyung."

"Renjun?"

"What? Nana keeps grabbing my ass!"

"That is not what I was doing! I thought you stole my phone, I was feeling for it."

"Yeah, right. We all know that-"

"Chenle, zip it."

"Mark-hyung can you please just get on with it?"

"Yeah, what's the news?"

"If the five of you would shut your fucking mouths, I could tell you!"

The room was filled with silence at last, and five pairs of eyes were finally in Mark's full attention, which was rare coming from his unit of crazy, yet hardworking and overly-smartass teenagers. Though they made up for their childishness and crackhead-like behaviors in their work and profit they brought to _Neo City_ , so it was acceptable. Not to mention, they were the youngest of the mafia.

Donghyuck's ass was for sure numb at this point, and this floor was getting awfully painful, not to mention his wrists were still bound tightly behind his back so he was pretty much disabled from any movement at all. He heard voices from outside the door, and it was definitely more than one by the sounds of it.

To shortly summarize, Mark had left the room after Donghyuck agreed to stay with the mafia, and he's been sitting here for twenty minutes ever since. That's about it. And Donghyuck wasn't usually the most patient person in the world, but thoughts of his cat and Felix managed to entertain his anxieties and guilt for all the while.

As he sat there feeling crushingly hopeless about seeing either of them again.

But suddenly, and maybe it was for the better, he heard the door open, then footsteps and light whispering voices. Donghyuck swallowed the non-existent spit in his mouth nervously as one, two, three, four, then _five_ well-dressed boys stepped into the light yards in front of him.

And, _holy fucking fuck_.

Donghyuck had to take a second to take in all of them because one of the shorter one's bright orange hair nearly took his vision away. The first one in the line, tall and lean, had blond hair gelled back, one side shaved carefully, had the squishiest face and Donghyuck instantly thought of a dumpling. The second boy, who was shoulder-to-shoulder with the blond one, had very sandy light brown hair, so light it almost looked white, a sharp jawline and an attractive face. _Geez, why were all these boys so pretty?_

"Aw, he's cute. Mark-hyung probably scared the hell out of him."

Another one with the bright, fiery orange hair spoke, a pout soon making its way onto his lips that fit way too well, in Donghyuck's opinion. He didn't sound Korean, he had an accent.

"We've literally never done this before. Why did hyung just push us in here?"

The voice came from the shortest boy with black fluffy hair, a small mullet growing down his neck that reminded Donghyuck greatly of Felix's neighbor's shaggy puppy dog that always roamed around the yard. He didn't sound completely Korean, either.

"We're just supposed to talk to him, I think."

Shrugged the one next to the orange-haired boy. This kid, being the tallest, had metallic rosy-pink hair that framed the squishiest face Donghyuck has ever seen.

"Okay, well here we go." 

The boy with the sandy hair stepped forward, clearing his throat dramatically. He locked eyes with Donghyuck, who gave him a semi-scared semi-confused look in return. 

"Hi, Donghyuck, is it? I'm Jaemin, Na Jaemin. Call me Nana if you want."

The boy talking, who introduced himself as Jaemin, smirked before he earned a slap on the back of the head by the other boy with the mullet.

"You're such a dumbass."

The boy turned to Donghyuck and smiled.

"Sorry about that. I'm Renjun. Blond ones Jeno, orange-haired ones Chenle, and Jisung's at the end."

The orange one, Chenle, broke into an excited smile, starting to bounce around on his heels with sudden high-energy.

"Pleased to meet you! We're the Dreamies. Mark told us you were younger like this."

Donghyuck cringed a little at Mark's name, being reminded of the boy that held him hostage in the first place and was the reason he was even here right now. Now, he had to deal with _this_.

"Who are you?" Donghyuck asked abruptly, interrupting a conversation between the five of them.

And, collectively, five pairs of eyes all moved to him once again. It gave Donghyuck a rush of anxiety, not because he was scared, he actually didn't know why. They were all smiling each in a different way and Donghyuck swore he was going to have some sort of stroke. Maybe he was having one right now.

"Can I explain it? Please?"

"No, I will."

"I called it!"

"Both of you, shush."

Renjun shushed Jeno and Jaemin who both gave each other little glares. Donghyuck was just about done, and he couldn't help but roll his eyes heavily. Though he couldn’t help but be reminded of him and Felix.

"We're Dream, the youngest unit in Neo City. We work in corruption and trading. We're good with bribery. We do drug deals and other stuff too, we make a good profit for the mafia."

"How old did you say you were?" Jeno, the blond one asked.

Donghyuck blinked, trying to take in everything.

"Nineteen," he answered hesitantly.

"Birthday?"

"June."

The two at the end, Jisung and Chenle, both collectively huffed. Renjun seemed to stand a little more proudly, Jeno smiled, and Jaemin pouted.

"Then you're hyung to everybody except me and Jeno. Jisung is the youngest, Chenle the second, and Jaemin the third. I'm the second oldest next to Mark." Renjun explained, giving a fond smile.

Donghyuck liked Renjun the most so far. He wasn't like the rest of them, he seemed more mature and sweet, kind of like the mom of the group. The rest were straight-up meth heads, which you would think Donghyuck would be relating to. But he actually was kind of annoyed. It might have been the fact that he was still stuck here, and not at home snuggled up with his cat.

"He seems cool, I think we can train him," Jisung spoke, and Donghyuck had a hard time thinking he was the youngest because right now he seemed the most composed next to Renjun.

That’s when it _clicked_. If the mafia went by age, and this was the youngest unit, and he is being forced into all of this, wouldn’t he “be” in Dream? With these boys? _Jesus, if only Felix was here._

"He's literally such a babe." Jaemin grinned.

"Yeah, let's get you out of those."

Chenle, the bright-haired one shuffled forward and Donghyuck flinched. The noise that came from the boy didn’t sound human at first, but Donghyuck soon realized it was a laugh. What kind of headassery?

"Relax! I'm untying your ropes. Hyung can be a little harsh, but he's just doesn't know how to relax sometimes. He's all pent up and too focused on work to realize other people have emotions too, but won't worry Mark is actually a really good leader and a hard worker and he's actually really sweet and cares about us more than he likes to admit. And it's funny because our boss, Taeyong-hyung who’s Mark-hyung’s older brother, is the sweetest guy but I think the genes didn’t carry completely to Mark-“

"Chenle, that's _enough_."

Donghyuck let Chenle cut the ropes while he leaned forward at Mark's voice, trying to see around Chenle. The black-haired boy soon stepped into the light beside the others. Once the orange-haired boy was done, he scrambled to his feet clumsily with a face absolutely nobody could be mad at.

"Sorry, hyung. Got carried away."

Donghyuck let his sore wrists loose, rubbing at the redness before finally standing up. He kept himself close to the wall behind him as he eyed Mark.

"Thank you, Dream. You can go now."

The five boys nodded and bowed, stepping out of the light to exit the room. Just when Donghyuck thought they were gone, and it was just him and this asshole again, the Jeno boy stepped back in from behind Mark. Donghyuck watched as he counted to three on his fingers before the five of them charged at Mark and eloped him in a giant group hug, complete with playful kisses to the boy's face and hair. Donghyuck suppressed a smile when Mark cringed and cursed, trying to get them off.

"We love you, hyung!”

“You’re the cutest hyung!” 

Donghyuck, now slightly amused, watched Mark sigh heavily once he managed to shove all of them off, turning around with a glare. Mark was cute, Donghyuck mentally agreed.

"I'll beat each of you later. Can you just behave for a day?"

Jaemin snorted and the rest laughed.

"He won't. He secretly loves it." 

"Yeah, we try to get him at least once a day.”

“Hugs are the best medicine.” 

Donghyuck couldn't help but snort, raising his eyebrows at Mark who just rolled his eyes and huffed a _get out_ , to which the Dreamies scrambled out the room for real this time.

"I don't know if I can really take you seriously now, Mark Lee." Donghyuck stated, raising his eyebrows.

"But let's be honest, I never _actually_ took you seriously in the first place."

Mark scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest and just _somehow_ Donghyuck thought it was so cute that he was trying to be so big and tough and act like he didn't just get attacked by teenagers with hugs and kisses.

"You're going to want to take me seriously, otherwise you'll end up getting shot by the other members."

"Thought you said you don't kill innocent people?"

"We don't."

Mark stepped forward and Donghyuck clenched his jaw, taking a daring step and meeting Mark in the middle of the room. His eyes locked with the boy's, indulging in the threatening glare he was given. Donghyuck didn't recoil even then because he one, wasn't a _fucking_ pussy. Not even when the man got right in Donghyuck's face. He ignored the light smell of minty cologne wafting off of him, the way his jaw set in place, and the way those pretty eyes never once blinked or shifted away from his own.

"Once you join the mafia, you're not considered _innocent_ anymore. And if you fuck up or try to get away, anybody here has the given right to kill you at any time. _Understand_?"

Mark's words came anything but softly, and Donghyuck couldn't help but wonder if this boy could be nice and sweet like Chenle had described, instead of thinking about the fact that Mark just told Donghyuck that he would be murdered instantly if he slipped up. He got right back in Mark's face, so close they could have bumped noses. And so close he could feel the boy's breath against his skin. He spoke without thinking, because now he just wanted to get on this guy's nerves.

"You don't scare me. You think you're so big and scary when in fact you are _not_ big, and you're _not_ scaring me. I think you're pretty fucking pathetic, actually." Donghyuck said almost simply, though his heart was secretly pounding against his rib cage so hard he was nervous Mark would hear it.

Mark just smiled, keeping otherwise calm. 

"You have a big mouth. You and Chenle will get along well.”

Donghyuck, now pissed, put a finger against Mark's chest, his eyes narrowed and his face now mere centimeters away from touching Mark's. His own words surprised him, but he was speaking without thinking as he normally does.

"You just wait. I'll make you regret not killing me. And I will, for the sake of satan himself, get out of this damned place. You just watch, I'll make you pay."

Mark shoved Donghyuck back onto the floor behind him, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to surprise him and take his breath away. Did he expect anything less? Nope. Donghyuck watched Mark's eyes narrow to almost slits, those cheekbones of his seeming sharper from down at this angle.

"You will _not_ survive here, I'm going to tell you that now. So, I'll leave this up for you to decide since you think you can fuck around. You either listen to me, or I'll call our hitmen. It’s that simple.”

Donghyuck swallowed the lump in his throat, pretending that Mark wasn't getting to him. He told himself to stay strong, to fight, to spit in the face of this attractive asshole. Donghyuck opened his mouth to talk back, but for the first time, no words came out.

"So, I want you to think about this long and hard."

He held his breath, but that didn't stop it from slipping out. He found his words quickly. Were they the best ones? _No_. Was that going to stop him from saying them? _Hell no_. 

"That's..."

Donghyuck let out a heavy sigh, giving Mark an apologetic look. It was more of a reaction.

_"That's what she said."_


	4. Bro, Boss, Bubblegum.

"I give up. I can't do this."

Mark collapsed backward on the couch, dully staring at the ceiling with a look of defeat written over his whole body. Of course, he wouldn't show this side of himself to just anybody. But it was his brother, and he didn't care. And his brother was now laughing at him.

"You're telling me you can go out there and deal drugs with people five years older than you, kill clients on-site when they don't cooperate, corrupt parts of the government, outrun the police, take care of a whole unit of teenagers, and be our mafia's second in command but you can't deal with a simple city boy?"

Mark's eyes widened as he pointed a finger at Lee Taeyong, now sitting up on the couch.

"He is not just a city boy! He doesn't listen to me! For hours I tried talking to him and giving him information and he just doesn't... shut the fuck up!" Mark exclaimed with wild hand gestures and all.

The boss smiled, suppressing his laughter because when Mark got upset, his voice tended to get higher and crack. But if he laughed now, Mark would punch him and he didn't feel like getting in a fistfight with his sibling at this hour.

"He gets in my face and mouths off and no matter how many times I threaten him he just laughs and calls me pathetic and mocks me and curses at me like, who does he think I am? A fucking idiot? Actually, yeah he does. Because he called me one."

Mark glared at Taeyong, standing up and clenching his fists. If he was smaller, you would have mistaken him for an upset toddler with the way he was acting. Only Taeyong saw this side of him, and it was just fucking hilarious.

"Bottom line, bro, I'm ready to just _kill him_."

Taeyong thought for a second while he looked at Mark, deciding to try something out. He crossed his arms and shrugged, making his way back to his desk.

"Then kill him. No one will have to know. Take him outside of headquarters and do it if he's that much trouble."

He glanced quickly back at Mark, who's eyes were slightly wide and unblinking, as he predicted. Taeyong continued on.

"You don't even have to call Ten or Kun. Do it yourself. Or, I'll do it."

_"No."_

Taeyong tried hard not to laugh because he knew this would happen. His eyebrows raised, and he cocked his head to the side, his light blue hair flowing with the movement.

"No?” 

Mark cursed to himself because Taeyong caught him off guard again. The perks of having an older brother who's also the leader of a mafia and one of the smartest people in South Korea. He had big shoes to fill and a legacy to live up to. That legacy was his brother and keeping up the Lee family reputation.

"I mean- I don't know. You know what I mean. Fuck you."

Taeyong chuckled as he arranged papers on his desk, his smile soon fading as he read over a file. Seeing him on the street, you would never suspect somebody like Lee Taeyong to be the boss of the most powerful mafia in all of Asia, but there turned out to be nobody more capable. As bubbly and playful as Taeyong seemed on the outside, when it came down to business, it was like a whole new personality took over him. Nothing gets by this man, even when you think it does.

The room settled into a comfortable silence, and Mark melted into the squishy couch inside Taeyong's office, letting his thoughts sink into themselves. He looked over at his sibling, who was hard at work reading over a file and making notes.

"Where's Jaehyun?"

Taeyong didn't even move his eyes from the paper, nor did he twitch, but you could tell by the way he subtly licked his lips he had something to say.

"He just left before you came, actually. He had to head out with Doyoung and Johnny, they're dealing with an inside job. Ten got together them three plus Kun and four Dreamies for it. They should be back tomorrow morning if all goes well."

Mark frowned slightly.

"They didn't need me for anything?"

Taeyong smirked, scribbling something down on the file before snapping it shut. 

"I told them you were busy."

Mark's blinked a few times before glaring at his brother. 

"Seriously?"

"Yes. You had a lot on your hands with the boy and introducing him to Dream-"

"You told them I was busy because of that?” 

"Yes."

Mark huffed, propelling himself off the couch as he walked towards the door and into the hallway. He can't believe he missed a whole inside job because he was dealing with that stupid boy.

"Whatever, I'm done."

"No, you're not. Can you take this file to Ten for me?"

Mark rolled his eyes so heavily it hurt, concealing his anger the best he could as he stormed back into his brother's office, snatching the file from Taeyong's hand.

"Yo, be careful with that. It's important. Don't lose it, please."

Mark held back from throwing up his middle finger and stomping out of the room because well, he was completely pissed off and that's all he felt like doing. He instead calmly began to exit the office, the file tight in his grip.

"Hey bro," Taeyong mumbled, and Mark stopped halfway out the door to turn his head and listen.

"I need you to pull through with this for me, okay?” 

Mark looked his brother in the eyes, sighing softly through his nose as he just nodded once. Everything here happened for a reason. And if something doesn't pull through or something slips up, there could be consequences bigger than anybody could ever imagine. Mark knew that.

"I will.” 

Taeyong smiled. He was a boss of high respect, wether the respect came from Neo City or other mafias. Everybody knew Lee Taeyong and Mark, and everybody knew his backstory and the hardships that they dealt with in their past. This all built up a reputation, and never once has Taeyong mistreated anybody for what they were as long as they didn't bring a threat to his mafia or his close friends. Or his brother.

To say the least, him and Mark weren't always living this life.

"Thank you. Goodnight, bro."

Mark's expression somewhat softened.

"Goodnight."

  

-

 

_"You guys all sleep in here?"_

After Donghyuck completely pushed Mark over the edge, the guy stormed out of the room, locking the door behind him. About two minutes later, however, the little orange-haired boy, Chenle, snuck back in and told Donghyuck, "let's get you out of here before hyung comes back, he isn't the most flattering when he's pissed off."

Donghyuck was literally jumping for joy because, well, he thought Chenle was helping him escape this mess. But as he was thanking Chenle for literally saving his life, the boy frowned. Donghyuck's hopes got John Cena-ed when he figured out Chenle was in fact not letting him go.

"Don't cry! I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to get your hopes up. I was just getting you out of the interrogation room so you can sleep with us for tonight. I can't let you go, I'm sorry. I would get in big trouble."

That brought everything to now. Apparently, this whole place was like one big secret warehouse that had three floors. But it was like a fortress, and the boy made it very clear that if Donghyuck even tried to escape, he would never find his way out. Chenle also explained that each unit had their own sleeping quarters and their own kitchens and bathrooms, much like dorms were set up. And that's where they currently were. 

"Yeah, us Dreamies all sleep here."

Donghyuck stared into the large room that was illuminated by different colored lights. There were six twin beds and one big couch in the middle of the room, all in front of one big flat-screen television that was paused on some drama. It smelled like bubblegum, too. Overall, the vibrant and cozy room greatly contrasted from the clean-cut suits all of the men wore here. He thought about his own room back at his apartment and quickly found himself missing it, even if it wasn't the nicest of places.

As he glanced from bed to bed, he noticed they were each decorated with different colors, stickers, and writing on the walls, so he assumed each bed was for each member. One bed even had a Moomin plushie on it, which almost made him crack a smile. His eyes stopped, however, at an empty bed with no colors, no stickers or writing, and no blankets. It was plain with white sheets.

 "That bed is supposed to be for Mark, but he sleeps in a different room since he's underboss. Sometimes he comes and visits, though."

Chenle turned to Donghyuck with a small grin lighting his features. The boy was one of the happiest humans Donghyuck had ever seen. As much as he questioned it, Chenle's good vibes sort of calmed him down so he didn't really comment on it. The kid didn't seem like he was going to pull a gun on him, so why should he be scared? That was Donghyuck's current way of logic. 

"So that's where you'll be sleeping for now. I hope that's okay with you." 

Donghyuck hesitated, but nodded slowly, taking a deep breath of the bubblegum-scented air. _Okay_ , Donghyuck thought to himself. You can do this. Just relax, pretend everything is fine, and you'll get out of here. You'll see Felix again. You'll see your cat again. You _will_ beat Felix in Mario Kart again. As long as you just act the way they want you to.

"So, what'd you do to make hyung storm off like that?" 

Donghyuck was coaxed onto the giant couch next to Chenle, now five minutes into a conversation while Donghyuck soaked up everything that was happening to him. He was beginning to grow fond of Chenle and found himself more relaxed around him. He was, of course, holding back like five different sides of his personality out of fear that some hitmen would come through and stab him, but he slowly was beginning to open up. Hiding his personality was hard for somebody as sassy and extroverted as Donghyuck.

 "I dunno. He's just so... fun to fuck around with. He gets mad easily. I kept making jokes and I guess that pissed him off." Donghyuck shrugged, making Chenle gasp.

"No way. You seriously had the nerves to do that? To Mark-hyung? Oh gosh, you're a risk-taker."

Donghyuck couldn't help but laugh at the way the boy talked, it was quite cute.

"It's not like it was hard. Plus, I just want to fucking get out of here. And I wanted him to know that since it was his fault I was here in the first place."

Chenle tilted his head.

"What exactly happened then? That landed you here, I mean.” 

Donghyuck leaned back against the couch, finally relaxing as he exhaled through his nose. He explained the whole situation to Chenle and everything that happened in that damned alley. 

"Bottom line, Chenle, he could have let me go and I wouldn't have told a soul."

Donghyuck sighed again, glancing over at the bright-haired kid beside him. He actually felt quite tired. Kidnapping takes a lot out of you, apparently.

"It's against the rules, you know. To let bystanders see." Chenle explained softly, leaning his head in his cheek.

"Mark-hyung did what he had to do. It's a strict system here that sometimes I can't even believe I follow." 

Chenle raised his eyebrows. 

"But, I hope you know he could have killed you. In the alley, I mean. He could have if he really wanted to."

Donghyuck perked up at these words, and just like that, he wasn't tired anymore.

"I thought... you had the no-kill policy thing-"

"Inside headquarters, yeah. But, when you're out in the field, you do what you have to do to keep the mafia safe. Which means anything. Even if that means taking a life."

Donghyuck let himself sink into the couch as he stared ahead at the paused television. What was he supposed to do with this information?

_"Then why didn't he kill me?"_

Donghyuck looked at Chenle for answers, just to find the boy standing up and running a hand through his hair. Donghyuck stood up as well. The kid shrugged.

"I dunno. But I've never seen hyung do that before."

Donghyuck was a little dazed as he tried to process what he was just told.

"Oh, I don't want to be mean or make you feel uncomfortable, but if you try to escape I will call our hitmen to stop you. It's policy and as much as I like you and find you adorable, I can't disown the rules. I can't even think about risking it. Okay? I'm sorry."

There it was. Donghyuck flopped back on the couch again, crossing his arms and slumping down so he was almost bent in half inside the couch. His plan to bribe Chenle into letting him go just got fucking destroyed. He'd just have to deal, he told himself.

The boy sat back down, turning to Donghyuck with a hopeful look literally nobody could say no to.

"Do you wanna watch TV with me? I started this new drama."

Donghyuck, without moving, sighed.

_"Sure."_

 

-

 

"It's from Boss."

The shorter man took the file with a nod, opening it and flipping through it for a second, huffing under his breath as he analyzed it.

"What's wrong? You look pissed." Ten mumbled, without even looking up from the file. 

Ten was also one of the smartest people in South Korea next to Taeyong, and you always had to remember that because if you lie to him, he'll know damn well. He had his own reputation outside of the mafia and held one of the most important roles in Neo City, and he was known for it. He basically organized every outside and inside job that went through and assembled teams that would complete each mission the best. Basically, he was considered one of the leaders overall, as well as apart of the _Wayv_ unit where he worked as one of the best hitmen a mafia could ever have. He was also one of the main reasons why the mafia was as rich as they were.

Mark held back from roughly sighing and just shook his head. 

"Nothing. It's just stupid stuff."

"What's the new boy like? I have yet to meet him." 

Ten peered up from the file at Mark, smirking slightly.

"I'm assuming that's why you're throwing a fit?"

Mark raised his eyebrows, throwing his hands up in question.

"I'm not throwing a fit?"

"You are. Look at you, you look like a baby. Do you want me to tuck you in?” 

"Fuck off."

Mark shoved Ten's hand away that was going to touch his face, sending the Thai boy into a fit of laughter. But it grew silent quickly when Ten looked back down at the file to continue.

"Train him well, alright? You know we need this."

Mark looked up at Ten, nodding once.

_"I will."_


	5. Liar Liar, Attempt It, Again Mark Lee?

It was an eventful night, to say the least. Donghyuck and Chenle watched some stupid drama for about three hours until the younger insisted that they sleep, because tomorrow would apparently be a "big day". Or a big shit show, in Donghyuck's eyes.

"You'll meet the rest of us tomorrow! It will be so much fun! I think they'll like you."

Donghyuck was sure Chenle was way more excited than him about all of this. As bad as he wanted to steal a gun and _Tom Cruise_ his way out of here, he knew it wouldn't be that easy. And as hopeless as things seemed, Donghyuck found something in himself wanting to meet the other members. He was curious about the other personalities. Just as long as _Mark_ wasn't apart of it.

Donghyuck sat on the edge of the bed that was supposed to be "his" as he watched Chenle turn the TV off and retreat to his own. Like _hell_ he was going to sleep.

"Where are the others?"

"Out on an inside job. They should be back tomorrow."

"Why didn't you go?"

Chenle looked up from pulling back the covers of his bed, grinning cutely.

"It was a job that involved being quiet. I'm not very good at that."

Donghyuck let out a snort, running his hand over the white sheets below him. _God, he missed Felix_. His best friend was probably so worried.

"Well, I'm going to sleep. I hope you won't try and escape because I'd hate to see you get hurt."

Donghyuck looked over at Chenle, catching the younger's pleading eyes with his own. Now, nobody could say no to that face. 

"I won't, don't worry. I'm actually exhausted anyways. Y'know, getting chloroformed and kidnapped and all."

Except for Donghyuck, because he was lying right to Chenle's adorable face without an ounce of remorse.

"Goodnight then, Donghyuck! If you need anything I'm right here."

"Okay."

"Okay, goodnight hyung!"

"Goodnight, Chenle."

Donghyuck laid back on the bed as Chenle switched the lights off, leaving his wide eyes to stare into complete darkness.

This bed was lumpy, not broken in at all, unlike his one at home. It wasn't squishy, he didn't sink into it, and he could practically feel his bones slowly breaking under the rock that was this goddamn mattress. _Okay_ , maybe he was over exaggerating. But there was no way in hell he was even _trying_ to sleep now. Not on this lump, no way. Just a few more hours, he told himself.

-

Well, Donghyuck laid awake for exactly two hours like his plan was. Besides it being one of the hardest things he's ever done, the thoughts that came to him during those hours were all about Felix. Which only made his passion for escaping this mess grow.

With the lightest, softest, slowest most possible movements, Donghyuck arose from the rock that was the bed, swinging his feet over the side and standing up.

When the only thing he could hear was Chenle's soft breathing, and his own heartbeat pulsing with anxiety in his ears and chest, he began towards the door across the room. The only way of him seeing was the dim light that shone out from under the door, otherwise he'd be knocking into every goddamn item in this bedroom with his so called gracefulness.

He completed his mission in getting to the door, turning around and checking one last time that Chenle was dead and asleep, before twisting the knob and beginning his true escape.

That's when he heard voices.

"If Boss or literally anybody finds out you came to our dorms at this hour you'll have your ass on a stake, _Yukhei_."

Donghyuck's eyes widened, managing to slip himself back inside the bedroom just as two figures rounded the corner. 

"Baby, listen. I know what I'm doing. I have Xiaojun covering for me if Ten asks where I am."

The voices were right outside the door. Donghyuck has been holding his breath for a whole minute at this point. Why did he always do this to himself?

"Isn't... the new boy sleeping with the Dreamies in there?"

Donghyuck pressed a hand to his mouth. He couldn't run back into the room, it would cause too much noise. He was trapped. _Fuck_.

"Oh... wait, no. I heard he was with Mark before. I'm sure he kept the boy in the holding cells."

"Maybe, I dunno. I can't remember the last time we got a new recruit. We're meeting him tomorrow, so I guess we'll find out the story."

Donghyuck prayed to whatever was up there in the sky that these two people would, for the love of satan himself, keep fucking walking because he was going to have an anxiety attack real soon if they didn't.

"Can't be worse than Boss's story, can it?"

"Shush before someone hears you. Let's go if you still want to have your head in the morning."

"I like when you're bossy."

"Shut up."

Silence. Donghyuck crossed his fingers behind his back. And soon, the footsteps started back up again before they faded, and no more voices were heard.

It was his time.

Donghyuck slipped out the door again, glancing both ways up and down the dark hallway. His heart was pounding so loudly he was sure someone would hear it.

_Left, or right?_

Donghyuck tried hard to remember which ways Chenle took him to get to here. Though he might as well have short-term memory loss at the rate he forgot little things like this.

Fuck it, he'll go left. The opposite way of the two people that just walked by.

Donghyuck began a hasted jog down the hallway, realizing there was no turning back now. If he got killed, so be it. There was no way he was staying here. Over his dead body would he be apart of any mafia.

Once that hallway ended, a new one began at a sharp corner. Doors lined both sides of this one, some bigger than others. Some with more locks on them than others. Donghyuck did his best to ignore the vague scent of smoke as he stumbled down the hallway, having literally no clue where he was going and where he would end up.

It wasn't within two minutes did he reach the end of that hallway, did he turn left again before stopping completely. No, he didn't get caught. He had reached a dead-end in this maze of a building. Two big wooden doors stood tall before him, and they didn't look like they'd open for him anytime soon. Chenle wasn't lying when he said this place was impossible to get out of.

What was this place, even? A goddamn castle? The Matrix? Where was he?

Just as Donghyuck turned on his heel to find another way out, he came nose-to-nose with a boy. His breathing hitched in surprise.

"Fuck!" 

Donghyuck panicked and shoved the boy back by the shoulders with every ounce of strength he had, which wasn't much but it was enough to give him time to run away back down the hallway. 

"STOP HIM!"

Donghyuck ran faster than he's ran in his whole life, even faster than the time Felix told him that his Twice merchandise came in the mail. He wasn't athlete but he also wasn't the slowest person, either.

As he was reaching the end of the hallway, another figure suddenly rounded the corner and grabbed Donghyuck by the arm in a bruising grip. He didn't recognize these boys. He's never seen them before. But this guy now was shorter than him. How? He didn't know. 

"Stop struggling, and you won't get hurt." 

The voice that came from the shorter man was stern and full of warning, but that didn't stop Donghyuck from struggling and pulling. He really didn't want to hurt anybody, but if that meant getting out of here, he'd _kill_ a man goddamnit.

"LET ME THE FUCK GO!"

He was panicking. But, he could literally here Felix's voice in the back of his head, shouting at the TV screen while he played video games, "karate chop, karate chop!"

_Karate chop._

With no further hesitation and with one more pull, he turned towards the boy and delivered a hard blow to his forearm. Once he felt his arm free, he ran and he didn't stop no matter how out of breath he was.

Donghyuck raced passed the Dream dorm and kept going, turning down every hallway, making every little turn. When he heard shouting fade behind him, hope settled itself in his chest. God, this might be his chance. He might have a chance.

So he kept running, and turning, and running till the series of hallways lead into a big room. It was dark, though. Pitch black compared to the hallway he just came from. There was no way he was finding his way through it. He had to turn around.

He turned around to leave, and suddenly there was a hand tight around his throat, fingers squeezing every last breath out of Donghyuck's lungs.

"You're stupid."

Donghyuck stumbled, reaching a hand up to helplessly claw at the hand that was getting tighter and tighter. That voice.

"M-Mark-"

"Shut up!"

Donghyuck was pushed back against the nearest wall in the hallway, desperately trying to pry Mark Lee's fingers off his neck. His half-lidded eyes were met with Mark's furious gaze, narrowed eyes, brows furrowed, high cheekbones and all. Oh, shit.

_Of course. Of fucking course._

"I-It's always fucking _you_ -"

Donghyuck was cut off as he gasped for air when the hand tightened immensely, tears gathering at the corners of his eyes as he locked his with Mark's.

"You thought you could escape? After how many warnings I gave you? How could somebody like you, after all that you've been through, be so _goddamn_ stupid. I've never seen this much stupidity in my whole life."

"T-Then I guess... you h-haven't looked at yourself in the mirror very often-"

Mark's fist got tighter and now Donghyuck regretted talking, because he really couldn't breathe, and he could almost feel his throat breaking under the pressure. His vision narrowly started to get fuzzy, and Mark's face started to blur. He tried to kick, but he was being held back against the wall by Mark's entire body. His consciousness started to leave him faster and faster, his head feeling lighter and his throat completely closed up.

_Fuck, was this it?_

"That's enough, Mark. Let him go."

"But he-"

"Let him go."

Donghyuck fell the floor, color, light, and sounds making their way back to his senses as he cough and gagged, taking gasping breaths of air like he's never needed it more. What even just happened?

After a few seconds of regaining life back into his body, Donghyuck moved his gaze up, blinking as he focused on another man he's never seen before.

He was skinny, bright blue hair, big eyes, sharp jawline. Overall flawless, as he expected because apparently every male here was handcrafted by the gods and made physically appealing to all.

"Are you alright?"

 _Yeah, I just got fucking strangled, I'm doing fucking fantastic._ That was what he wanted to say. But, he had a feeling this guy was important, if Mark listened to him.

"I'm fine."

His voice came out ugly, rasped, and so painful that Donghyuck wanted to rip his vocal cords out and never talk again. He glanced over at Mark. Or maybe rip someone _else's_ out instead.

"I'm sorry about this, I didn't mean for us to meet this way, Donghyuck." The other spoke.

The blue-haired boy took a step forward and offered Donghyuck his hand.

"There will be no more running, I hope you know that. I have my hitmen behind me and they aren't very shy about their weapons."

Donghyuck slipped his gaze to behind him, noticing two men standing far back with what he realized were guns like he promised. _Great_. He averted his gaze back up to the man's, hesitantly reaching up and accepting the hand that helped him off the ground. Mark stood feet away from him, arms crossed tightly.

"I'm Lee Taeyong, _Boss of Neo City_."

Boss. He was speaking to the fucking Boss.

Donghyuck stared at Lee Taeyong for a second, before shooting his gaze down to the floor. Well, fuck. He was a little intimidated now.

"Right now you would be shot and dead if I had not commanded my boys to let you go so easily. This was a test, and I trust that you won't try this again. We need you here, not out there."

Donghyuck looked back up at Taeyong, swallowing painfully. 

"Do you understand, Donghyuck?"

He hesitated, before nodding his head once. There was something about this man that made him want to listen, something trusting in his voice that soothed him over. Taeyong smiled sweetly. The personality change threw Donghyuck off completely.

"Good. Mark, can you take care of him and get him fixed up please? We need him better by morning if we're going to do proper introductions."

Donghyuck glanced over at Mark, who's eyes were narrowed, stubborn, and unmoving.

"Get Sicheng to do it. He's the healer."

"Sicheng is out."

"Then what about Yuta-"

"Do I need to ask you again, Mark Lee?" Taeyong inquired, voice stern.

Donghyuck held back a snort, biting his lip to do so as he watched Mark turn to glare at him, before looking back at the Boss.

_"Okay."_

Donghyuck flinched slightly when Mark turned to face him.

"Follow me."

He held back from sassing the boy, and instead just kept his head down, beginning to follow Mark back up the hallway passed Taeyong who stepped aside for them. Donghyuck hated the feeling of eyes on him while he walked, but otherwise the atmosphere was silent.

Donghyuck trailed beside Mark, head down, messing with his fingers as they made a right at the next hallway. A minute later, Mark was unlocking and entering a room, Donghyuck slowly following. He really, _really_ didn't want to. But he had no energy to fight any longer, and he was in severe pain.

The lights flicked on and Donghyuck blinked, his eyes adjusting to the brightness. It looked like a high-class hospital room. He'd never seen anything like it, he's never even been to a hospital before, but he was just guessing this is what it would look like.

"Sit down." 

Donghyuck glared at Mark who had his back turned while he was busy with something, fists clenching at his sides. He wanted to speak, but it hurt too much already. Though, he really couldn't stop himself this time.

"You _choked_ me."

"You deserved it."

"You're an asshole."

"And you sound horrible. Sit down. There."

Mark was pointing to a chair a few feet away. Donghyuck didn't move, he didn't want to move, but eventually he slinked over to the chair, sitting on the edge of it, hands clasped tightly in his lap.

Everything hit him at once the second his spine rested against the back of the chair.

Now that the weight was off them, his legs were sore and weak. His throat hurt to breathe, his eyes would barely stay open with the exhaustion that coursed through his entire body, and he was so mentally fatigued he could lay down on the floor and never get up again.

_He didn't ask for any of this._

Donghyuck's eyes began to water, and when he blinked, the tears just overflowed and ran slowly down his sweaty, golden cheeks. He didn't bother turning his head away in embarrassment, because frankly, he didn't have the mind to care about wether or not Mark saw.

He just stared at the floor, sniffling, watching the tears drop from his eyes and onto the gray concrete. He wasn't even sure what Mark was doing, but when he tilted his head to check, his eyes were met with those handsome dark brown ones.

He wavered his gaze to Mark's out stretched hand hand, seeing the boy was handing him something. An icepack. He sniffled, connecting his gaze with Mark's.

"I-I don't want it." 

"Take it. Before the bruises swell."

Donghyuck reached a shaky hand up to his neck, fingertips brushing against his own throat. He winced at the ugly pain that sparked there.

"T-This is _your_ fault."

He watched Mark's jaw clench, like it does when he's about to get angry, and a heavy sigh escaped his lips before he reached towards Donghyuck. Donghyuck flinched once again, gripping each sides of the chair as a coldness was pressed against his neck. He yelped.

"I can do it myself."

Donghyuck's hand brushed with Mark's to grab the icepack, and that alone made his skin tingle before he pressed the coldness back to his bruised neck. God, that felt nice. It was silent for a moment.

"You'll be staying in the holding cells."

Donghyuck moved his watery eyes to the floor, back up to meet Mark's in disbelief. He went through all of this, and he was being put in a _goddamn_ holding cell? The only thing he wanted to do was sleep in a comfortable bed, fold into a blanket, and never wake again.

"Y-You're serious?"

Mark didn't shake his head or anything, his eyes trailing over Donghyuck's face, then neck, then back up again to hold his gaze.

"Yes."

Donghyuck didn't know when the tears started again, but they did and he couldn't stop them no matter how hard he tried to blink them back. Letting out a shaky breath, he leaned his head back on the wall, closing his eyes. The exhaustion was almost too much, so he just kind of let it take over.

So when Mark looked back again, and he realized the boy was unresponsive, he sighed softly through his nose. Donghyuck had, in fact, fallen asleep.

“Why the _fuck_ didn’t I shoot you?” Mark whispered under his breath.


	6. Herbal Tea, Family Is Everything, The Units.

Donghyuck's body awoke before his eyes even opened, his head feeling heavy but his body relaxed. He felt himself in a warm bed, one he sunk into, one that cradled his body so nicely he didn't ever want to get up.

_Was last night all a dream? Would he open his eyes to see his cat sleeping by his feet at his own apartment?_

Coming to his senses, he felt the soft sheets below him, taking a deep breath. The air smelled of mint and green tea. Was Felix here making him tea? All so suddenly, he didn't want to open his eyes. What if it _wasn't_  a dream? What if he wasn't at home sleeping in his own bed?

Blinking heavily, Donghyuck couldn't fight it any longer and opened his eyes, sitting straight up as he did so.

His eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room that looked like an ordinary bedroom. Not his own, however. Donghyuck panned his gaze over to a quiet figure in the corner, whose back was toward him, clearly busy with something. He blinked, opening his mouth to speak.

"Who-"

The figure turned around the second the first rasped word left Donghyuck's lips. He choked on his words in surprise when he saw what was yet another boy, different from all the ones he could recall from last time he was awake. This one was silent, however, and just stared at him with a gaze Donghyuck couldn't read.

And the boy remained silent as he approached Donghyuck's bed, something in his hands. A cup. Donghyuck was stiff in his spot.

_"Drink,"_ said the boy.

He looked down at the cup that was being offered to him, steam rising from what was inside. It smelled good, like the tea Felix's mom makes when she visits. Donghyuck carefully took the cup, looking from the liquid up to the boy.

He had full lips, fuller cheeks, and rounded face, blonde hair and a soft yet unreadable expression in the eyes. Again, pretty. All of these men were pretty.

"What is it?" Donghyuck asked quietly, swallowing the bruising pain it took to even speak.

The boy's expression didn't change.

"Drink," he repeated, walking away from the bed and back over to where he was before.

Talk about mysterious. Donghyuck sighed softly before raising the cup to his lips, taking a sip, perhaps hoping it was a poison of some sort. But, it wasn't. In fact, it was some of the best herbal tea Donghyuck had ever consumed, sorry to Felix's mom. Plus, it soothed his throat so quickly that the pain was already starting to go away.

He looked back over at the boy, who was cleaning what looked like a stove. The silence was crippling.

"Who are you?" Donghyuck asked.

The boy paused his movements, placing the cloth he hand in his hand on the stove before turning around and walking back over to the bed.

"Have you finished?"

"No."

"Then drink."

Donghyuck held back from huffing and instead did as he was told. He finished the cup of tea just under two minutes, the boy taking the cup back afterward and returning it to the small sink that was by the stove. The sound of water running turned on, then off.

"Speak."

Donghyuck blinked at the command.

"Um, where the hell am I."

"Is there any pain when you talk?"

"Not that much anymore."

"Hm."

The boy's voice was low and foreign, definitely not Korean. Donghyuck shifted under the covers, wanting to get up but not knowing if he could.

"There is a bathroom behind the door on your right. You may shower and clean up in there, I will leave clothing on the bed when you are finished. Change into them, and knock twice on the door when you're done. I will give you thirty minutes and no more."

Donghyuck could barely process what the boy just said before he was out the door, a click of a lock sounding behind him. This is just  _great_. At least they were letting him bathe.

Running a hand through his greasy, disgusting hair, he agreed he needed to shower. Being kidnapped, chased and strangled distracted him from the fact that he hadn't bathed in three days and smelled like death itself.

Donghyuck made his way off the bed, struggling to stand for a second as he let the dizziness he felt pass, before wandering over to the door to the right as the boy had said.

It was a bathroom alright. A pretty decent one, with a shower, sink, and toilet. He scoffed. Maybe he could fucking escape through it.

-

Twenty minutes later, he had taken a shower, letting the hot water run over his skin and his face, his tears mixing them. As Felix always said, "you're not crying alone when you're crying in the shower". Straight facts.

When he was done staring at his face in the mirror, examining the bruises in shapes of finger marks that lined his neck from his encounter with Mark Lee, he walked back into the bedroom with a towel wrapped tightly around his waist.

As promised, there was clothing laid out on the now-made bed. He sighed softly, looking around the room before taking the clothes and retreating to the bathroom to change. He didn't feel comfortable changing out there where hidden cameras could be recording him. Just the thought of it disturbed him.

The shirt they gave him was a little big but the joggers fit fine. He began to notice that the other's didn't wear suits when they were here. Maybe they were just a thing they wore when they did their...  illegal stuff. That was his guess.

The door to the room suddenly opened and Donghyuck jumped, turning to face the boy from before who was standing in the doorway.

"Are you done?"

"I mean, I guess-"

"Follow me. They're waiting."

_They're waiting._ He didn't like that sentence. He followed the boy through the door, it snapping shut behind him. They were in the hallways again. They all looked so similar that he couldn't tell the difference between any of them. So he trailed silently behind the other boy as they walked down the hall, and made a left at the end of it.

"Can I ask you your name? Or like, is that against the rules-"

"Sicheng."

Donghyuck nodded, clearing his throat. Mark had said that name before, he remembered.

"Cool."

They kept walking and walking. There were so many fucking hallways Donghyuck was getting dizzy just walking through them. He suddenly thought of Chenle and felt a little bad. He completely disregarded the boy, who had actually been really nice to him compared to literally everybody else here. Speaking of which-

"We're here."

Donghyuck looked up, realizing they were standing at the two big wooden doors he had come across yesterday. He watched as Sicheng stood completely still beside him until the doors made a sound and slowly began to open. Maybe this guy was a wizard. Now, that'd be cool.

Voices on the other side immensely ceased all at once the second the doors were fully open, another dimly lit hallway appearing on the other side.

"Come in," a voice beckoned.

Donghyuck recognized that voice from yesterday, he just couldn't match it up to which boy it was. Sicheng resumed forward and Donghyuck had no choice but to follow.

The hallway got darker and darker, up to the point where Donghyuck could barely see in front of his own nose. He'd thought he lost Sicheng even, only until it started to get lighter.

The hallway ended and led into a spacious room, one big, long wooden table resting in the center with chairs lining each side. It could probably sit over thirty people. Donghyuck had to crane his neck to take it all in. That, and the balconies lining the high ceiling. Where in gods name was he?

Standing on top of the table was none other than the boy with blue hair from yesterday that stopped Mark from choking him.

_The Boss._ Lee Taeyong.

He stood with his arms crossed, dressed in a dark blue suit, gold chains hanging from the pockets. He was quite skinny and seemed to be around Donghyuck's height though somehow he was still giving off an intimidating vibe. It was the eyes, he decided. That, or the two slits cut into Taeyong's eyebrow that was now visible since his hair was pushed back neatly off his forehead unlike the day before.

Now, he  _really_  looked like the Boss of a mafia.

"It's nice to see you again, Donghyuck."

Donghyuck swallowed, his mouth going slightly dry as Taeyong hopped off the table, landing with a soft thud. The skinny man approached Donghyuck, the intimidating gaze not as strong as before.

"It's great to properly meet you like this. And you will very soon meet all of us and learn of the many personalities inside Neo City."

Taeyong gave a welcoming smile, a sincere one that Donghyuck didn't want to believe was real.

"You will meet your forever brothers here, your friends, and so on."

Donghyuck held back a scowl at Taeyong's words.  _His best friend wasn't here. He was taken from him._ When Donghyuck gave a glare, Taeyong sighed.

"I know it's hard right now, believe me. I've been in your position before and so have many of the others here. You miss your old life, you miss your friends, your home."

Taeyong locked his gaze with Donghyuck's, who had begun to tear up just slightly.

"But this is your new life now. Your new home. Here, we take care of each other. Protect each other. Have each other's backs, rely on each other. Trust each other. We're a family here, and families fight for and beside each other. Family is everything."

Taeyong took a step back, smiling.

"And in order to work as a team, we need all these things. Trust. Loyalty. Respect. Honor. That will be your first task here."

Donghyuck's mouth twitched. He  _could not_ believe what he was hearing. He was just expected to drop everything he's ever known and become apart of all this? After this wasn't even his fault in the first place?

"You just expect me to conform to all of this?" Donghyuck questioned daringly.

Taeyong gave a gentle smile, all too suddenly the sharp gaze appearing in his eyes again.

"No, I don't. But you will. With time."

Donghyuck clenched his teeth so hard he thought they would break. Just as he was about to speak, Taeyong stole the words from him.

"Without further ado, I would like you to meet us."

Taeyong turned, beginning to walk away from Donghyuck.

"Neo City is the first most powerful mafia in South Korea and second most powerful in all of Asia. We have some of the smartest people in the nation standing here with us, and without a doubt, we have some of the best units. There are four; 127, U, Dream, and WayV."

Donghyuck remembered Mark telling him about this. The three units and that each unit had a job.

"Each unit plays a vital role within the mafia. Without each other, nobody would succeed. And perhaps one day you will join one of them and take on a role. Once you have earned our trust."

"And please tell me what on this god green planet Earth makes you think I can do that?" Donghyuck blurted.

He expected a glare, a growl, or maybe even a punch in the face from the Boss. But instead, he got a laugh.

"Mark was right. You can't keep your mouth shut. I was waiting for you to say something." Taeyong smirked, making Donghyuck turn red.

_Damn that fucking Mark Lee._

"I'll show you. 127, please come out."

Donghyuck looked around, expecting people to come out in song and dance because that would have just topped it all off. But no, instead, one by one people filtered into the room. Men. Shit, were they there the whole time? Donghyuck watched with an unmoving gaze as eight attractive men stood side by side in front of him, all with serious expressions.

Donghyuck instantly recognized some of them. The tall one from the other day, Johnny. And the sharp-looking one, Doyoung, was it? Sicheng was also there. When did he leave?

Overall, the group looked hot and intimidating in their suits that matched Taeyong's, but black instead of the dark blue. Donghyuck let out a nervous breath, his eyes moving from the group over to Taeyong, who was watching them as well like they were all a product of his creation.

"This is unit 127. They work in robbery and handle more of the cut-edge activities like combat and fighting."

Donghyuck felt all eyes on him as Taeyong talked.

"I trust these boys more than I trust myself."

Donghyuck raised his eyebrows.

"Damn. That's deep."

Taeyong laughed.

"Damn indeed." Taeyong smiled, chuckling again.

"They're not usually this serious around here. I promise. They're funny guys. Crazy too."

Donghyuck relaxed his shoulders a little. He hoped Taeyong was right. Because being surrounded by all these hot, intimidating, seemingly hostile men would make it hard to so much as breathe around here.

"They'll introduce themselves," Taeyong said.

Donghyuck averted his gaze back to the group just as the boy on very end spoke. He was short, Donghyuck remembered his face from somewhere.

"I'm Taeil, the oldest here. I'm the one who also let you go yesterday. If it wouldn't have been for Boss's orders, I would have killed you. Nice to meet you."

Donghyuck blinked as a welcoming smile spread on Taeil's face.  _Well, shit._

"I'm Yuta. Healer," the next boy with longer black hair spoke.

He looked foreign, but captivating nonetheless. Unique looking with sharp features and a stern gaze. He didn't smile though. Donghyuck knew the next one.

"Sicheng. Healer as well."

He had the same expression on his face from before. Donghyuck wondered if he was a robot.

"I'm Johnny Seo, we've met before. I'm the Picciotto here, as I told you. I'm also a full-time comedian."

Donghyuck bit back a laugh as Johnny gave him a little smile that made Donghyuck feel a little less nervous. He reminded Donghyuck of a dad.

"I'm Jungwoo. I work in creating distractions and plotting out our attacks, and yeah."

The next boy spoke so quietly, and so softly, Donghyuck wasn't sure if he spoke at all. Not to mention, he was literally adorable. Tall, dark blue hair, but an adorable squishy face and voice. It threw him off greatly as the next one spoke.

"Kim Doyoung. I'm the associate but I also know everything about everyone, lie to me and I'll know. I'm also the only person here that doesn't have a raging temper at the smallest things."

"Yeah, he doesn't have a temper but he has something called 'asshole syndrome'," Yuta mumbled.

The group erupted into laughs. Donghyuck suppressed his own, glancing over to Taeyong whose eyes were focused on the last boy of the group, a smile on his lips. The final boy spoke.

"I'm Jaehyun, the Consigliere. I take orders from Boss and underboss. I also lead this unit when Boss is absent."

He was quite handsome, as all of them were. Jaehyun had a squishier face, a calming voice, and nice brown hair.

"Jaehyun is my right-hand-man. You will take orders from him as you would take them from me or Mark." Taeyong explained, his gaze stern.

Donghyuck nodded subconsciously, finding himself following whatever Taeyong told him without much question. He found Taeyong more respectable, unlike somebody else... speaking of which, where was that Mark Lee?

"You have already met Dream, so I was told. They are training this morning, therefore they couldn't be here. You will be spending most of the time with them and training with them since they are your age. Dream holds the youngest members here, teenagers and young adults. We tend to take care of them more because they are young and less experienced however still very smart and capable. I wouldn't take advantage of any of them again if I were you. That's not what we do here."

Donghyuck cast his eyes down at the last words of the Boss, knowing what was referencing to. But, he had to do it to Chenle. He knew he had to. If he didn't at least try to escape, he'd feel guilty beyond belief.

"Understand?"

"Yes."

"That's good. Now, there is someone else you need to meet. Ten?"

Donghyuck looked around as Taeyong called out the number, confused at first until a shorter man walked out. He had to be under five-eight, pale skin, interesting features and carried himself properly as if a prince. He also wore a faint small smile.

"This is the boy, Lee Donghyuck," Taeyong explained to the man, stepping aside.

The short boy nodded, stopping in front of Donghyuck and chuckling. 

"So many Lee's in his place, I think I'm suffocating."

Donghyuck didn't know whether to laugh or not, but Taeyong sure did. The boy had a unique voice.

"I'm Chittapohn Leechiayapornkul. Call me Ten, it's easier to pronounce. My position does not have a name, however, I hold a great history here. My unit is called WayV, we are an all Chinese group. Their kill number is larger than all of our ages combined. These are some of the best hitmen in all of Asia. This is WayV."

When Donghyuck looked behind Ten, his breathing once again caught in his throat. More gorgeous men were standing there, except dressed up in black jumpsuits rather than the blue suits the other men wore. They had a different vibe to them. A darker one.

"I'm Yangyang!"

The first curly-haired boy smiled so wide at Donghyuck he thought his face would break. Why was he so cute? What happened to the dark vibe?

"I'm Hendery," the second boy with black hair spoke, giving a charming smile.

"Yo, I'm Lucas."

Well, Lucas was pretty fucking tall, still handsome with a unique visual. And gigantic compared to the rest of the group. He recognized that deep voice from somewhere, but he couldn't think of it.

"I'm Xiaojun."

This man was captivating. His intimidating eyes, and his literally gorgeous eyebrows. He looked like a doll. The next boy, however, was Sicheng again. How did he get there and change so fast?

"Call me Winwin."

Donghyuck barely nodded once they were all done. What did he just get himself into?

"You can go now. Thank you, Ten. And good luck with your job today boys."

Donghyuck watched as the handsome men in black jumpsuits filed out of the room, trying to process what just happened as Taeyong spoke.

"Ah, Mark. Nice of you to join us."

Donghyuck nearly flinched at the name, snapping his attention forward to see none other than Mark Lee standing in front of 127 who were now all talking with each other.

"I had important matters to attend to. Sorry I'm late."

_No you're not_ , Donghyuck wanted to say as Taeyong just smiled.

"Donghyuck, you know Mark Lee by now."

The boy scoffed.

"Yeah, just a little bit," Donghyuck mumbled, hardly looking Mark in the eyes when he said it for a reason.

"Introduce yourself."

There was tension, and he knew the Boss could sense it from the long pause that carried between the three men.

"I'm the underboss, second in command."

"And he oversees Dream, he's the leader if you will. If anything were to happen to me, he would be next in command."

Taeyong patted Mark on the back, who didn't look too happy. But, the next words hit Donghyuck like a fucking speeding truck.

"He's also my younger brother by blood, we are the only family in the mafia."

Donghyuck's eyes widened. He knew Mark was too stupidly attractive to keep it all to himself. So not only did he mess with the underboss of a mafia, he messed with the Boss's younger brother the underboss of a mafia. Did that put him on a kill list or something?

"Please say sike."

When neither of them said sike, Donghyuck took a heavy breath, puffing his cheeks out.

"Okay, I've decided that I will just accept my death. I don't want to do this."

"We're not putting you on suicide watch." Mark scoffed.

"Then maybe, Mark Lee, you should have thought twice about not shooting me."

"I regret it every time you open your goddamn mouth."

"That's enough." Taeyong cut in, his voice stern.

"Both of you need to get along, otherwise this won't work. Mark, you will personally train Donghyuck starting with the basics. And you two will get along, or so help me."

Mark's mouth fell open, and so did Donghyuck's.

"Did I stutter?"

"No, Boss."

Taeyong smiled, clasping his hands together.

"Good," he mused, patting both boys on the shoulder before walking over to 127.

Mark glared at Donghyuck, and Donghyuck glared right back.

"Touch me again, and I'll kick you so hard between your legs you will no longer have a functioning dick."


	7. Immature, Relax, Fucking Asshole.

_"The boy isn't going to make it."_

"We have to at least try. We need this."

Doyoung looked up from buttoning his shirt, giving Jaehyun a dumb gaze.

"You mean  _Boss_  needs this. Since when do we need a new member? We can handle everything ourselves perfectly fine."

"Doyoung's right. Boss just wants people screwed so everybody's a little happier-"

"You better watch your mouth." Jaehyun stepped in, interrupting Yuta.

Johnny chuckled, fixing his belt and sliding a gun into the holster around his waist, pulling his shirt down over it. He was a man that could see all sides of an argument when they broke out, so he was usually the one to speak to both sides.

"I actually like the kid. I think he'll do fine once he learns when and when not to open his mouth."

Taeil scoffed under his breath, slipping his jacket on. But sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. Especially not with their oldest member who sometimes had the hardest shell, Moon Taeil. The shortest one with a little bit of an attitude.

"I don't think he'll ever learn. I would have hurt him badly when he tried to escape if it weren't for Boss's orders."

"You don't even properly know the boy yet and you're judging him? Do you remember what it was like for you your first time taken here?"

The room grew eerily silent as the boys finished getting ready, nobody daring to answer to Jaehyun's words. Because, well, in the back of everyone's minds they knew he had a point.

"Exactly. Have a sense of mind, and do your work. You're not being asked to personally train him yourselves, but there will come a time when you might have to accept him as one of us. That's how we grow here."

"Please stop, now you're sounding like Taeyong-hyung." Jungwoo blew his bangs out of his face, walking out of the dorm room.

"Well, you are what you fuc-"

"Get out, all of you. God, I can't tell the difference between you and the Dreamies sometimes."

Jaehyun snapped, cutting off Yuta's comment as laughs all around the room made no attempt at being muffled.

When you're around certain people working, living, and breathing together for years and years, you become close. In more ways than one. Teasing and getting on each other's nerves was an outcome of all of this, as well as arguments and fights. What a normal family might come across in a household.

Except, this wasn't at all a normal family.

They all were bound by contract to always work together. To work as a team and only as a team till death do them all part, and risk their lives for the sake of the mafia and each member inside of it.

Though, many things would, of course, come between twenty-one men living together in one building for so long.

_"You okay?"_

Ten darted his eyes up at the voice, instantly settling on the figure in the doorway, his nerves simmering slightly at the presence before returning to his papers.

"Yeah."

He paused before clicking his tongue at the man.

"Aren't you supposed to be at the gym with 127?"

Johnny just broke into a grin, shaking his head as he leaned against the doorframe.

"Yeah, but thought I'd stop by for a visit."

"Better hurry. Boss has extra eyes on everybody because of the newbie and you wouldn't want-"

"Relax,  _Chittapohn_."

Ten, in fact, did relax the second his full name rolled off of Johnny's tongue. But he'd always deny the older's voice had that effect on him, but internally, he knew Johnny always got him to calm down.

Normally he wasn't even this pent up, but he had been dealing with a lot of extra pressure right now. And if anybody could notice that the best, it was Johnny.

"You should go, Johnny."

"Should I?"

"Yes. I have a lot of work to do."

Johnny just raised an eyebrow, before finally meeting Ten's gaze with his own. He read the other's eyes carefully, before smiling gently.

"I'll see you later then, Ten."

Johnny turned on his heel, beginning to leave out the door until he heard what he was expecting.

_"Wait."_

Johnny bit back a laugh, stepping back into the room. Ten would kill him if he laughed out loud, because he knew the younger hated being wrong almost as much as he hated fruits.

"Stay for five minutes. I need a distraction before I literally blow something up."

Johnny caught the little smile that curled up on Ten's lips. So he shut the door behind himself, turning to the shorter man with a grin.

"Lucky for you, I'm the  _best_  distraction around."

-

_"Listen."_

Donghyuck held back an eye-roll.

"If you corporate, this will go by really quickly," Mark mumbled, pointing at a chair, most likely for Donghyuck to sit down in it.

He glared at the back of Mark's head.

"I'm going to make your life a living hell," he stated simply.

"Already living it in," the black-haired boy laughed in return, still not batting an eye.

They were in a room with pads on the floor and the walls, a table, and several cabinets. It reminded Donghyuck of a karate studio.

After a long talk with the Boss, Taeyong had insisted that Mark showed him where he would be taught things. What things? He didn't want to know, so he didn't ask.

In reality, he yearned _so badly_  to go home and hug Felix and his cat. To stroke Sunny's golden fur and collapse onto his best friend's lap to play video games. But,  _no._

"I'll never do anything you say  _ever_  again."

Mark turned around at last, locking eyes with Donghyuck for the first time in an hour. Not with the nicest gaze, but it's not like Donghuck's gaze was all sunshine and rainbows either.

"What if I said you could see your friend again?"

Donghyuck's heart almost leaped out of his chest at those words, his pulses pounding and his breathing catching at the back of his throat. He clenched his fists at his sides.

"Don't fuck around with me, Mark."

"I'm not, Donghyuck."

Tears came to his eyes.  _Felix. His best friend. He missed his other half so much._ But when he saw the teasing glint in Mark's eyes, he knew something was up.

"You're screwing with me aren't you?"

Donghyuck glared when Mark didn't say anything.

"You heartless  _fucking_  asshole!"

Donghyuck finally lunged at Mark who easily grabbed the boy's forearms and tossed him to the ground as if a toy. Thank  _god_  there was padding on the floor.

"The first tip, never lunge your whole body at somebody. Stay balanced on your feet for as long as possible."

"Oh, so you're my instructor?" Donghyuck snapped, getting himself back onto his feet before going for Mark again, this time grabbing the boy's shirt.

Mark tore the boy's hand off by his wrist, pushing his arm back into himself before twisting the boy around in a headlock. Donghyuck winced, but anger flowed through him more strongly than ever.

Mark was pressed against his back, hot breath by his ear every time he breathed.

"Keep your fists up at all times, never just grab."

Donghyuck tried to pull himself out of Mark's grip but failed. He let out a frustrated yell, attempting to elbow Mark in the ribs before the boy finally let him go.

He caught his breath and his racing heart.

"I hate you so fucking much if you ever say something like that to me again-"

"You still think I was joking?"

Donghyuck blinked as Mark raised his eyebrows, pushing a hand through that soft black hair of his.  _Stupid, but fucking hot._

"I never lie."

"For some reason, I doubt that."

Mark just laughed. It sounded different from all the other times he's laughed at Donghyuck with harshness and sarcasm behind his tone.

"Fists up. Come on. Stand like this."

Mark stood in a defensive position, hands up in front of him, squared up. Tired of arguing, Donghyuck just heavily rolled his eyes to get his point across one last time before mirroring Mark's stance.

"Good. Hold it."

Mark moved closer, eyes scanning Donghyuck's position.

"Feet a little closer together. Hips facing more forward."

Donghyuck followed his corrections, staring at himself in the small mirror a few feet away. He looked like an idiot. It reminded him of all the times Felix would square up to bugs that came too close.

"Can I punch you now?"

"Not yet. Head up, shoulders back, good posture."

Donghyuck fixed his slouched shoulders, feeling his back crack at the unfamiliar healthy posture.

"Hips forward."

"They are, idiot ."

"Not like that."

Mark stepped forward.

"Can I show you?"

Donghyuck scoffed.

"Oh, so now you're asking for consent? After choking me? Could have done that before you-"

With no warning, Donghyuck felt Mark's hand on his hips as they were shifted forward, throwing him off balance and making him fall. Mark caught his arm. Donghyuck forgot how to properly respirate.

"Keep balance."

For some reason, was the last straw.  _Keep balance._ Donghyuck could feel his last nerve break, it was like a personality shift.

"You fucking keep balance."

And then, Donghyuck, without a second thought, slapped Mark so hard across the cheek his hand stung from the impact. And it didn't even take a second after to have Mark tackle him to the floor.

His back hit the padding, knocking the wind out of his lungs. Mark's hand was on his collarbone, pressing and pressing to keep him down. Donghyuck reached up to shove Mark's shoulder, using every pound of strength in his entire body to shove Mark off himself.

"You fucking-"

"ASSHOLE!"

Donghyuck pinned Mark down to the floor, even though he knew damn well it wouldn't last and he made probably one of the biggest mistakes he could have in that moment. But, he was too blinded by anger to notice.

Donghyuck winced when Mark grabbed his jaw and practically threw his body off of his own.

"You're pretty fucking daring."

Donghyuck was slammed back against the padded floor with a thud.

"You'll fit in well."

Donghyuck locked eyes with Mark's, trying to rip the black-haired boy's hand away from his face. 

"Before I escape, I'll find a way to hurt you really badly." Donghyuck snapped.

Mark's fingernails dug into his cheek, making him laugh weakly, ignoring Mark's other hand pressing down on his chest keeping him painfully against the floor. This wasn't exactly what he meant when he told Felix he wanted to be pinned down by a hot dude.

A voice interrupted.

_"What the hell is going on?"_

Both boy's looked over towards the door, seeing that one handsome man. Which one though?

"Teaching him a lesson." Mark scoffed.

Donghyuck let his head hit the padding, letting out a long sigh. That tired him out.

"Mark, get off the poor boy."

"He slapped me."

"Mark."

Donghyuck held his breath when Mark shifted and let his face go before standing up. Jaehyun, that was his name. The Consigliere.

"Thank you."

Jaehyun gave Donghyuck a quick warm smile. Donghyuck didn't return it, but it made him feel a little less angry.

"Have you seen Johnny anywhere?"

Donghyuck looked up at Mark, watching the man shake his head while he fixed his clothes.

"Probably in Ten's office."

"Probably dead."

Two new voices sounded with each phrase, two boys scooting passed Jaehyun and into the room without batting an eye. They walked right passed Donghyuck on the floor and through another door into what looked like a weight room. Jaehyun looked stressed.

"Great. I'll be going to Ten's office then. Start without me."

"I wouldn't go in there if I were you!" Jungwoo called.

Donghyuck raised his eyebrows as he finally got to his feet. He felt so out of place. And well, he fucking was.

"I'll take my chances."

Jaehyun locked eyes with Donghyuck's nervous ones.

"Walk with me, Donghyuck."


	8. Take A Walk, What Happened, Dear Dream.

_"Take a walk with me."_

It took Donghyuck a moment to regain function in his legs as he swallowed nervously, getting to his feet and stumbling passed Mark over to the handsome man by the door who showed him a gentle smile.

"Follow me," said the man.

Donghyuck glanced back at Mark for a second, seeing that the boy was turned the other way walking into a different room. Taking a breath, he followed Jaehyun out of the studio. Because _fuck_ , at this point he didn't care what happened to him. Anything could be worse than this entire situation as a whole.

"I was a lot like you."

Donghyuck trailed behind the taller man, who soon fell in step with him. Now, what the hell was that supposed to mean?

"My story is a little different, but I was like you. Lived in the city, had a best friend, corrupted family. A pretty normal life."

Donghyuck tilted his head.

"Then, what happened?"

Jaehyun chuckled lightly as they proceeded down the maze of many hallways Donghyuck had lost track of since the beginning.

"I found _Taeyong_."

Donghyuck raised his eyebrows.  _The Boss._

"I ran into him, just like you did with Mark. I was driving home from work and almost hit him with my car. He was crouched in the middle of the road, covered in blood with three stab wounds to the stomach. A mission had gone wrong, I later found out."

The taller man puffed out his cheeks, reminiscing.

"He begged me not to take him to the hospital, so much as tried to threaten me with a gun even though he couldn't walk and was bleeding out by the second. I didn't understand, I was scared."

Jaehyun chuckled like he was recalling a good memory, Donghyuck listening intensely in silence.

"I put him in my car and drove away, there was no way I could leave him. I took him to my apartment, helped him with his wounds even though I was in such shock. He wanted to get up and leave, he told me he had people to get back to, but I didn't let him, he wasn't strong enough. Long story short, when he returned to headquarters, he came back fully healed with a new member. Me. I left my life behind for him... and the mafia, of course."

Jaehyun added the last part after a pause, leaving Donghyuck wondering for a second before his thoughts were interrupted.

"So I get it, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you."

Donghyuck let out a shaky breath, as they turned down a hallway. He kept his eyes down, not knowing what exactly to say, but knowing exactly how he was feeling.

"B-But I'm not like you. I didn't hit Mark with my car- kind of wish I did actually, but I didn't voluntarily... become apart of this. I miss my best friend, my cat... I shouldn't be here."

He felt the annoying tears prick his eyes again as he clenched his teeth. Jaehyun let him speak for once, unlike somebody else.

"I-I just... I'm scared. I'm really fucking scared, and I don't want to admit it to myself because I don't  _get_  scared. I still think this is just some  _bad dream_  and I have to fight my way through it..."

Donghyuck looked up to be met with the soft brown eyes of the taller man. They reflected such understanding and trusting that it made him calm down a little bit, soothing his racing heart.

"I know you're scared, I was too. But what you just said to me, with what I've seen from you, your bravery, your aggressiveness, will get you far here. Just trust me, you  _will_  be rewarded when the time comes."

_Rewarded?_ No words resonated in his mind but that. Could he go and see Felix?

"What does that mean?"

Jaehyun placed a hand across his shoulders as they walked, but said nothing in return. He was about to ask again when they stopped at a door at the end of the next hallway, Jaehyun knocking twice on it.

"Johnny?"

No answer. Jaehyun sighed.

"We have a mission in two days. You need to prepare with us-"

The door swung open, revealing the very tall, handsome man wearing a warm smile, stepping out of the room and closing the door. The man fixed his shirt, his hair a mess as well.

"Sorry. I... had some things I needed to go over. Hi Donghyuck."

Donghyuck waved back as a natural reaction, Jaehyun scrunching his nose.

"Unprofessional."

Johnny scoffed at his words.

"I'd say I'm pretty professional at it."

Johnny visibly bit back a laugh when Jaehyun made yet another face of disgust.

Donghyuck stood between the two men, not really wanting apart of whatever was going on. He had an idea of what it was about, but he wasn't sure. He guessed, if he lived with a bunch of hot guys too, something would be bound to happen.

"Ignore him," Jaehyun mumbled to Donghyuck.

"No, ignore  _him_. He's trying to make  _me_  look like the whore when-"

"That's quite enough, Donghyuck doesn't need to know-"

"Oh, but he _will_ find out eventually." Johnny cut the other man off, nudging Donghyuck playfully with a grin.

They were like Tom and Jerry, and Donghyuck found it slightly amusing. It briefly took his mind off other anxieties without him knowing it right away, so he basked in the comfort for however long it would last.

_Not very long._

-

"WE NEED YUTA! RENJUN'S BEEN SHOT!"

"HURRY!"

_Jaemin and Jeno's voices, the three had returned from their mission._

Mark Lee had never stood up faster in his life, pushing away the papers in front of him and rushing out the door, remaining calm otherwise.

"Chenle, get Yuta and Sicheng. Now," he ordered the smaller boy, who had sprung to his feet at the words that were yelled down the hallway.

Mark broke into a sprint, making his way swiftly to the entryway of the warehouse, where he saw one of his worst nightmares, one of the only things that brought fear to his conscience though he never mentioned it.

Jeno and Jaemin stood in the doorway, scratched and bruised, carrying none other than Huang Renjun between them. The Chinese boy's eyes were half-lidded, and he was hunched over pale, clutching his stomach where blood stained his hands and his shirt.

Mark rushed over, taking the pale boy into his arms before starting down the hallway and turning into a room, Jaemin and Jeno following quickly behind him.

"W-We turned our backs for just a second. T-The man pulled a gun and started shooting before we could react and Renjun-"

"Little mistakes cost lives, we talked about this," Mark's words were like ice.

He placed a quivering Renjun on the table as Yuta and Sicheng rushed in, Sicheng cutting the boy's shirt off his body which revealed the bullet wound on the left side of his abdomen.

"M-Mark-hyung I'm s-so sorry..." Renjun sputtered, reaching out for Mark's shirt, grabbing the fabric desperately.

Watery eyes stared back at the dark-haired man, and he shook his head.

"There's nothing to be sorry about. Now, I need you to keep your eyes open, okay? We're going to fix you up."

Renjun took a shaky breath, moving his gaze up to the ceiling as his chest rose and fell with every small whimper.

"I-I didn't see him coming-"

"Shh," Mark shushed him, taking the boy's hand in his own, clenching his jaw as he turned his gaze towards Sicheng.

The healer, without looking back at Mark, gave a subtle nod.

"We need to take it out. It's not against any major blood vessels but he's losing blood quickly."

The black-haired man nodded, looking back down at Renjun, watching his breathing quicken.

"Deep breath now, Junnie. Look at me."

Mark felt the younger boy squeeze his hand tightly, watching the tears leak out from the corners of his eyes onto his pale face. He was trying to stay strong as Mark had taught them.

Renjun's wavering eyes found him again. Sicheng counted down,

"Three, two, one-"

Renjun finally screamed when they dug into the wound. Mark refused to look down, instead keeping his attention on the boy's face, holding his gaze. He was focused so hard on Renjun's face, he didn't even notice Chenle and Jisung on the other side of the table, holding Renjun's other hand, keeping him down with eyes full of tears.

"Good, Junnie," Jisung mumbled.

Mark never let go of Renjun's hand that was squeezing his so tight, the cries and yells from the smaller no longer being muffled.

"Moomin is waiting for you, Junnie. He's on your bed. We can watch movies after this is over..." Chenle rambled, Mark's heartbeat quickening in his chest.

He whipped his head to Sicheng and Yuta for the first time, watching them scramble to put pressure on the wound. The amount of blood Mark saw was too much. Way too much.

_Things didn't look good._

"Stop the bleeding," Mark mumbled.

"Stop it. Now."

Jaemin and Jeno now were on the other side of the bed, his whole unit surrounding Renjun with comfort, though anxiety pulsed through his veins.

"Stop it now! Please." Mark demanded again.

"Mark," Yuta mumbled, as a warning, never dividing his attention from the task at hand.

Mark always made sure his unit was never heading into a situation where things might get deadly like this.  _How did he slip up so bad? Why hadn't he just gone with them?_  This was supposed to be a small job, a simple trade that had been negotiated over a million times it seemed until it was very clear about what each side was giving to the other.

_Now, what happened?_

Mark watched their red hands hold down the towels soaked with blood, then he watched Renjun's face grow paler, and his breathing beginning to become louder and shakier with each breath.

_"Yuta!"_

"Mark, you need to calm down."

Mark's frantic eyes watched Jaemin lay a kiss on Renjun's forehead, tears evident on his face, as well as Jeno's, Jisung's, and Chenle's.

"STOP IT!"

Mark felt a hand on his shoulder all of a sudden, his brother's bony hand squeezing the side of his neck gently. His mind was running a thousand miles per minute and he couldn't see anything but Renjun on the table, bleeding out before his eyes.

Nothing this serious has ever happened to Dream, his unit. The five boys he trained himself, the five boys whom he took in from the streets, saved their lives, took responsibility for them and their actions.

_And their downfalls. And their mistakes. And their lives._

"He's going to be fine. He'll be fine, Mark," Yuta reported calmly.

The cloth was soon removed, and Sicheng's hands were soon working to stitch up the wound. Mark reached over, pushing Renjun's hair off of his forehead that was slicked with sweat, a breath of relief pushing itself out of his lungs.

And right here, looking into Renjun's eyes, he saw the boy he first saw that three years ago.

He saw him for the first time in that drug house they raided, which seemed so long ago, too long ago. He remembered the fear and panic embedded in Renjun's eyes when the younger boy looked at him as soon as Mark's unit busted in. He remembered where the Chinese boy was standing, on the right side wall, next to two bodies of a man and woman laying on the floor.

The needles sprawled between both bodies, and the bag of cocaine the boy held in his shaking hands, Mark remembered. The boy's parents had both overdosed, and their only son, Renjun, was their drug runner.

_"Come with me."_

_"W-Who the hell are you?"_

_"I'll show you."_

Mark saw his past self in the boy he saw against the wall, scared, alone, no parents, with no hope at a second chance, having to grow up early. The mission for the drug house was to bust in, steal back what was stolen, harm nobody and leave before things got violent. Mark had done just that, but bringing the terrified Chinese boy with him.

Comparing that Renjun to now, it was like two different people.

_And Mark watched every second of that transition._

"Hyung? He's okay."

Mark lifted his gaze to his unit on the other side of the table, nodding to himself.

"I know."

The underboss stood up, taking a step back, feeling his brother standing beside him. He turned to Taeyong, his once briefly-panicked facade wiped over, back to his serious one.

_"We need to talk."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm BACK FROM THE DEAD and things are getting spicy. more updates to come. <3


	9. Lucid Dreams, For My, Best Friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> read the endnotes at the end of this chapter when you're done reading, please! enjoy <3

"Goddamnit Hyuck fuck you! You merciless little asshole!"

Donghyuck couldn't help but burst out into loud laughter, falling off of the bed and onto the floor clutching his stomach. Oh, the rug in Felix's room was so comfortable, even when it was covered in a mix of crushed pretzels and crackers stepped on by the two of them whenever a Twice song came on.

He had beat Felix in Mario Kart,  _again_. And it was such a gorgeous day, the bragging rights fueling Donghyuck's ego right up.

"This is the thirteenth time!"

"Fourteenth, actually."

"You're going to hell."

"And so are you. We've already had this conversation."

Donghyuck stumbled proudly to his feet, copying Toad's victory dance that displayed across the screen before a pillow was being hurled at his head, hitting him square in the face.

But before his instincts took him forward to tackle Felix into the sheets, he stopped to stare at his best friend for a second, the look of dramatized betrayal melting from his conscious. Why did this feel so... weird? Donghyuck took a step forward, and the room spun in his vision around him.

Numbness overcame his entire body, and he was blinking slowly as if everything was put in slow motion. He desperately tried to keep his eyes open, keeping his focus on Felix's confused gaze.

"Hyuck, you okay?"

Donghyuck scrambled mentally to speak, but the noise wouldn't pass his lips. Felix spoke again, the happiness washed from his eyes and freckled cheeks.

"Donghyuck, wake up."

 _His eyes shot open, his heart pounding in his ears._  His face was wet with tears, and so was his body but with sweat. When his lungs burned, he realized he was holding in his breath. Donghyuck peered around the unfamiliar room, desperate watering eyes searching for his best friend who had been there a moment ago. Seconds ago.

His eyes landed on a figure.

"F-Felix?"

His raspy voice was broken. And it felt like minutes till the figure responded. His legs itched to get up, but he was frozen in his spot.

"No, it's Chenle."

Donghyuck let out a shaky breath, roughly leaning back against the bedpost.

_"Fuck."_

The tears, as if they never left, were streaming down his face again though they deserved no attention.

"You tricked me," the small Chinese boy spoke, hurt evident in his voice.

Donghyuck came back to his senses and reality, memories flooding back.

"I don't exactly blame you. I get it, I really do. I'm younger."

Chenle crept closer, and Donghyuck didn't even bother trying to move or wipe his face this time. Was there even a point to anything anymore? Besides the anger and aggression running through his veins, he didn't feel anything else.

"I'm really sorry, Chenle. That was wrong of me to do that, you're right," Donghyuck mumbled, voice lacking emotion, empathy, though he was sure Chenle couldn't tell.

Once Chenle was at his bedside, round, sad eyes reflecting the dim light peeking under the door, Donghyuck cleared his throat and turned to face the younger boy.

"Tell me Chenle, do you have a best friend?"

Chenle tilted his head at the question.

"Well, yes. Jisung."

Donghyuck recalled the youngest of the Dream unit, the taller boy with the rose-pink hair.

"Well you see, I have a best friend too."

"What's their name?"

"Felix."

Donghyuck sat up slightly.

"Now, imagine you were separated from Jisung. And you don't know how long, but it feels like it will be forever. And you'll never see him again. How would that feel?"

Donghyuck watched as the smaller boy's features melted, till a frown appeared on Chenle's lips.

"I would be really sad. I wouldn't even survive a day without him with me."

Donghyuck smiled slightly.

"Felix is out there somewhere, wondering where I am, probably a wreck like I am," Donghyuck explained vaguely, swallowing every reflex to burst into a fit of angry tears.

Chenle sighed.

"That's awful. I didn't know you... that you had a best friend like that-"

"I'll never see him again.  _Ever_  again."

Chenle sighed roughly again, taking a step back from the bed.

"I wish I could help you, I really wish I could-"

"You  _can_. You can help me."

Donghyuck reached out and grabbed Chenle's shirt, pulling him closer. He was growing desperate, his heart rumbling in his chest, his hands shaking with desperation.

"Please, Chenle. Help me. Help me get out of here. I can't stay here, I don't belong here. We both know that. Please."

"I c-can't-"

"Yes you can! You can. Show me the way out of here. I promise I won't report anything. No one will get hurt."

Donghyuck's grip tightened on the fabric of Chenle's shirt, who's eyes reflected panic.

"D-Donghyuck please let me go-"

_"What's going on?"_

The door to the room creaked open, light coming in along with the presence. Donghyuck let Chenle's shirt go, the younger scrambling back from the bed like Donghyuck was a time bomb.

"S-Sorry Mark-hyung. I was just checking in on him, he was making noise in his sleep-"

"Go back to the dorm. You shouldn't be in here."

Donghyuck clenched his teeth, watching Chenle remain silent as he gave Donghyuck a long, unreadable stare, before slowly trailing out of the room as Mark had told him to.

When silence settled in the air, Donghyuck still watched Mark's figure linger at the end of the bed. Donghyuck scrunched up his nose, tears pricking his eyes.

He felt so hopeless, to the point where he would be satisfied with dying. That seemed so much better than this and much better than the aching guilt rotting in his gut. Mark still remained.

"Why are you still standing there?" Donghyuck snapped, wiping his face roughly.

There was a long eery silence leading up to the words that Donghyuck didn't at all expect.

"I wanted to  _apologize_."

Those words floated through the darkness and hit Donghyuck like a speeding bus. He only saw the outline of the boy but could hear the genuine emotion through Mark's voice. Though he still didn't believe it.

"Save it," Donghyuck spat.

"I'm being serious."

"And I don't want to hear it."

"Will you let me finish? Shut your mouth for one second."

Donghyuck crossed his arms tight over his chest, glaring stubbornly at the bedsheets. Mark sighed one of those,  _I hate what I'm about to say but fuck it_ sighs. Donghyuck recognized it.

"I wanted to apologize for acting so hostile towards you. It wasn't right... of me when I brought you here in the first place."

Donghyuck looked up, hardly believing any of it. Was he being bullshitted?

"I don't believe you," Donghyuck said flatly.

"I know you don't."

Donghyuck sniffled, taking a shaky breath.

"Why didn't you shoot me in that alley? Why didn't you just do it? Chenle told me everything. You do what you have to do on the field, right? Well, I would be better off dead rather than rotting here away from my best friend who is probably going insane by now and would be better off knowing I was dead rather than not knowing if I'm still breathing or not."

Donghyuck got out of his bed, clenching his fists and eyeing the open door. Gasps pushed out of his throat, trying to catch up with his breathing.

"So why don't you make it easy?"

Mark Lee's expression remained neutral, his gaze hard as Donghyuck crept closer. When Mark didn't say anything, again, he  _exploded._

"You're a shit excuse for a human being, you know that? You're fucking horrible, you're a horrible person. Look what you fucking did. LOOK AT ME!"

Donghyuck yelled the last part, every part of him shaking, tears melting from his face onto the floor. He caught Mark's gaze quickly with his own. It seemed like minutes before the black-haired man finally spoke like he didn't have a tongue this whole time.

"You wanna get out so bad?"

Donghyuck didn't need words to say yes but when he opened his mouth, Mark stole his words again.

"If you behave I will-"

"Behave? I'm not a fucking  _dog_."

Mark audibly huffed this time.

"If you act accordingly, I'll take you tomorrow."

_Tomorrow. That would be enough time...?_

" _You'll_ take me?" Donghyuck asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes," Mark replied, stepping forward more.

Donghyuck tensed up but didn't move. He wasn't going to be scared anymore, he told himself. He was going to try his  _damn_  hardest. He was going to get out of here, he was going to do everything he could do. And  _nothing_  would stop him.

"Look at me, Donghyuck."

The boy didn't realize his eyes were trained to the floor, the front of his own shirt balled up tight in his fists. When his name rolled off Mark's tongue, his eyes naturally lifted to meet the big brown ones.

They looked hazy, dry, dull, not angry but not  _not_ angry. Mark's voice became low, softer, so light Donghyuck could feel his warm breath on his cheeks.

"You'll get what you want  _if_  you stay with me. Is that clear?"

Donghyuck could practically feel his pupils expand, his heart beating like a drum in his chest harder and harder.

_Felix? Did that mean he could see Felix?_

"Understand?"

Breathlessly Donghyuck replied,  _"Yes."_

The black-haired boy nodded, turning to leave. Not realizing or regaining his senses properly, he needed to ground himself again. So Donghyuck reached out and grabbed Mark's forearm, lightly for once. That was the difference.

Mark turned his head, not with dark brown eyes ablaze with anger or hostility. The exchange in the glances between both boys was unreadable.

Donghyuck didn't feel like wrenching away, or throwing his fists, or screaming for once. Mark's skin was cool and for some reason, his brain didn't give the signal to let go just yet.

He wasn't sure Mark knew what to do either. The touch wasn't rough, nor was it pulling or pushing. There were no harsh words, no insults, or storming off in curses.

 _No_ , there was complete silence for those ten seconds between the underboss and the city boy.

"Yes?" Mark asked seriously, though not moving an inch from his position.

Donghyuck, now embarrassed, let go and took a step back in a hurry.

"Um, thank you."

Mark clenched his jaw. Donghyuck braced himself.

"Goodnight, Donghyuck."

"Goodnight."

Donghyuck's eyes watched Mark as he left, closing the door softly as he exited. Once again, he was in darkness by himself.

 _That wasn't fucking awkward at all,_ Donghyuck thought to himself, flopping back on the bed. He stared holes into the dark ceiling, running his hands over his face. 

 _For Felix_ , he thought. He would do this for Felix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finally, an update. hope you enjoyed! also, would you guys want me to make a twitter acc where i tweet my progress or when stories will be updated? let me know :) -a
> 
>  
> 
> rip juice wrld <3


	10. Enough, STRAY KIDS, It's Time.

" _No more_  sending Dreamies out alone without me or another older member."

Mark made quick eye contact with Ten, clenching his jaw.

"Make sure they're always with someone when you schedule missions from now on."

Ten nodded firmly, standing up beside Mark in front of his brother, Jaehyun, Johnny, Doyoung, Yuta. Plus Jaemin, and Jeno. He was used to the feeling of all the eyes and all the listening men waiting for him to say something important. He didn't need to look at them to feel the pressure building in the atmosphere.

Mark turned to the two youngest of the current group, the two Dreamies. Jaemin and Jeno both wore long faces, eyes trained to their shoes like they would die if they so much as glanced up.

"Now,  _what the hell happened_?"

Jaemin quickly looked at Jeno who casted his eyes to the floor again before lifting them to Mark's own. The older knew well that the two of them felt so  _crushingly_  guilty.

And as much frustration that ran through Mark's veins, he knew the incident put blame on neither of them. It would take a while to get through their heads that it wasn't their fault. Mark was prepared for that.

Jeno cleared his throat.

"We left yesterday evening, at the right time so we weren't early nor late. Kun made sure we had everything we needed before we left like usual."

Jeno suddenly couldn't hold his leader's gaze and shot his eyes down again.

"We met Sehun at the corner of 7th in the warehouse. Renjun was going to be the runner this time, I did the talking and Jaemin stood watch."

It wasn't long till a panicked Jaemin cut in, "I-I swear didn't see anything beforehand. I couldn't see who did it. Everything was going fine, Sehun and Jeno were talking about the deal. It was friendly, it was good to see that hyung after so long. But then Renjun made the exchange, a-and when he turned back around-"

Jaemin cut himself off to swallow back his wavering voice, Taeyong placing a hand on his back in a caring manner. 

It was an instinct to care for Dream as if the mafia's own children. Even though they were growing up, growing into smart adults, they were still brought up from a younger age and didn't have much of what someone could call a  _normal_ childhood.

"The gun was fired and I didn't even see where it came from. I couldn't see who fired it and when I looked up Sehun was gone and Renjun was on the g-ground."

Jaemin sniffled, burying his head in his hands.

"It w-was my job to stand guard to make sure this didn't happen and I f-fucked up so bad-"

"Hey," Mark cut in, kneeling down in front of the two boys.

Two pairs of sad, teary eyes stared back at him. Mark felt a weight drop in his stomach.

"This is neither of your faults, okay? This wasn't supposed to happen, and there was no reason for it to. We're going to figure this out and find the person that did this. Okay? Look at me."

Jaemin was staring into his lap, his eyes snapping up at Mark's command.

"I'm going to take you both off missions for the next month, just till everything is cleared up."

His older brother's gaze out of the corner of his eye caught his attention, though he didn't turn his head.  _Mark's only soft spot was Dream, Taeyong knew._

"Okay?" Mark repeated to the two youngest, who in return nodded their heads.

"Good. You can go. Get washed up."

Mark got to his feet, turning to face the wall as Jeno and Jaemin arose from their seats and made their way out the door. The second the sound of the door clicked closed, Mark felt himself boil over.

"How did this happen? Does someone want to tell me how the  _fuck_  this happened?"

He turned to face the room, catching eyes with every single one of them, including Ten who was standing next to him.

"We  _almost_  lost Renjun.  _Almost_  doesn't happen here. We need to figure out what happened because the deal was very clear, I went over it myself with Junmyeon. Dream has done trades like this so many times with EXO, there is  _no_  way either of them slipped up this bad. This was the fault of somebody outside mafia. Nobody leaves this room until we figure out who, how, and why a gun was pulled and Renjun was shot."

When no protests came from the group of men, Mark let the breath out he was holding in. 

"Ten, write this shit down."

-

_"Chris, have to leave now."_

The Boss crossed his arms, soft but narrowed eyes still focused on the entrance of the dank alleyway.

"One minute more."

"Chris, the window has closed. We've waited enough."

This was Christopher Bahng, famously known as Bang Chan, Boss of  _Stray Kids(SKZ)_  mafia and well up in the humble and genius ranks. South Korea's  _nicest_  mafia leader is what he was mainly known for. Ironic, wasn't it.

"We leave when I say, Bin."

 _Changbin_  tried hard not to let the stale breath out of his lungs too forcefully as he crossed his arms tight over his leather jacket. He never was the most patient man on the planet.  _Waiting_ wasn't his forte. Killing people when their backs were turned, however, was an area he  _greatly_  excelled in.

"I know Mark. He's a man of his word, he probably just ran into a delay. It happens."

"This was poorly plotted on his part if you ask me."

Chan just grinned, peering towards the alley wall where Yang Jeongin was crouched behind a dumpster, face evident with boredom as he fiddled with the trigger of his pistol.

"Don't play with your weapons, kid," Changbin grumbled, barley flinching when Jeongin pouted and aimed the firearm his way.

"Sorry, hyung. I forgot I didn't know how to use a gun," the younger mumbled, voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Hey now," Chan muttered, nudging Changbin's shoulder, code to lay off.

Though, his brown eyes never left the entrance to the alleyway. He trusted Mark. And if this handoff didn't carry through,  _he was ready_.

-

It was morning. Donghyuck knew that because he counted the hours himself. He laid awake with bloodshot eyes staring at the ceiling, heart-pumping rapidly in his chest making it impossible for him to fall into a slumber.

He replayed his conversation with Mark in his head, scaring himself a couple of times into thinking he just dreamed it all.

Anyways, Sicheng was back. He hadn't even heard the boy come in despite being awake all night and morning. He nearly got whiplash when the man appeared by his bedside, like some sort of warlock.

"Drink."

"Good morning to you too, Sicheng."

Donghyuck sat up and took the cup, expecting the boy to walk away and begin cleaning some random surfaces. But, he didn't. He stayed.

"In about a half-hour you'll be going on a mission with Mark. I have a specific suit you'll be wearing, it's for your own protection and ours. You'll get changed when you're done drinking."

Donghyuck watched the boy's face through the dim light as he sipped on the tea that left a sweet taste lingering in his mouth. This was the  _only_ good thing about this place.

When he was finished, Sicheng took the mug back and laid clothing on the end of the bed before leaving him to himself to wash up.

He contemplated his life choices in the shower, as he normally did even when he wasn't kidnapped by a mafia. _I am going to see Felix today,_ he promised himself as he let the water trickle down his face.  _I will do everything I can._

He climbed out of the shower minutes later, staring at his face in the mirror once he had dried off. He didn't even  _look_ like himself, it was disgusting. But,  _soon. It would all be over soon._

"Are you dressed?"

Donghyuck just raised his eyebrows at his reflection, at the tight black jumpsuit he was wearing. Not to kiss his own ass at this  _very_  inappropriate time, but he looked  _fucking hot_ , and welllike he came straight out of one of Felix's dumb video games. How they got his measurements exactly right? That remained a mystery he didn't really want to solve.

He  _looked_ like he belonged in Neo City. That thought alone brought bile up from his stomach, so he quickly dismissed the thought and answered to Sicheng.

"I'm dressed."

The door swung open, but it certainly was  _not_  Sicheng standing in the doorway. In fact, it wasn't a man he recognized at all.  _God, another pretty android boy?_

"Hi, Donghyuck. I'm Kun, trainer, organizer, and hitman. It's nice to finally meet you," the man spoke with a perfect smile.

Donghyuck took in the boy's friendly aura and nodded slowly once he took a second to absorb everything.

"Why... weren't you at the?"

"I was training the teens during the introductions. It's not as easy as you think, well, you're still quite young and ambitious or so I've heard. So you can imagine what it might be like teaching five loud smartasses about the dangers of drug running and missions like that."

Donghyuck blinked in surprise.

"You train Dream?"

"I do indeed. I also prepare the runners for missions. Runners are anybody who leaves headquarters to handle a task. And today Donghyuck, you are a runner. I'm here to prepare you before you head out with Mark today and to make sure you're safe and comfortable."

 _A mom_ , that's what this Kun man reminded Donghyuck of. He strangely found himself enjoying it and not finding himself fearing for his life as much as he did with  _some_ of the other members.

"Okay? So, if you would follow me-"

"Kun-hyung you're needed in the- oh."

Donghyuck watched as one of the other boys walked into the room, soft eyes moving from Kun's to Donghyuck in an instant. The male had that adorable face and soft look to him, his voice gentle and light. That was till his eyes raked over Donghyuck's body like a hawk, making him squirm slightly in his spot.

"I forgot you were doing this, my bad."

Kun just shook his head, sighing loudly as a stressed mother would do..

"Tell Jisung I'll be with him in about twenty minutes."

The boy nodded and stepped out of the room, not before sending a wink Donghyuck's way, leaving him flushed, confused, and oddly flattered. Kun just clicked his tongue.

"Sorry about Jungwoo. Anyways, please follow me."

Donghyuck gathered what remained of his sanity, along with very little of his will to live, and followed the other man out of the room and into the maze of hallways. They went through a few doors Donghyuck didn't realize actually lead to other hallways, with more doors and more weird smells, until he heard voices. They soon arrived inside a decently sized room, bright light reflecting off of the empty, dark green walls.

Donghyuck recognized Mark Lee's ruffled black hair even when his back was turned, the underboss turning to face them just as he slid a Glock into his holster. The sleeves of his black and dark blue jumper were rolled up to the elbows, intricate ink patterns displayed across the pale skin.  _The boy had tattoos? Oh._

"Hyung," Mark greeted Kun, rolling down his sleeves before Donghyuck had the chance to stare more at the pretty black and white ink.

Donghyuck made hesitant eye contact with Mark, watching the underboss's eyes quickly look over his body before moving to Kun.

"Correct attire?" Mark, asked before turning around again and slinging a bag over his shoulder.

"Yes, he's ready."

"Great. Thank you, hyung."

Kun turned to Donghyuck, eyes wide excitement before taking both his hands in his warm but oddly comforting ones.

"Good luck, Donghyuck. Remember to stay beside Mark, and don't-"

"I'll go over all of that, thank you again hyung you may go."

Kun slowly shut his mouth, sending Mark a little eye roll before letting his hands go with a smile.

"Good luck... both of you."

And just like that, Kun left out the door he came, leaving the two boys alone once again as fate made it out to be every time. Donghyuck tensed up slightly, suddenly wishing the kind boy would return.

"Rule number one," Mark spoke after a few moments of silence, voice serious and boring.

It took Donghyuck  _everything_  in his power not to groan in annoyance as he rolled his eyes. 

"You yell, scream, run, or try and attack me, I will  _not_  hesitate to shoot you immediately."

"How flattering," Donghyuck mumbled flatly, watching Mark turn around and stroll over to him.

His black hair was curlier today, the mound of fluff resting across his forehead right above harsh brown eyes that read frustration every timeDonghyuck spoke or breathed. His semi-muscular arms were crossed tight over his chest as he looked Donghyuck's face over.  _Hot? A little._

"Stay near me at all times unless you want to be killed."

"Oh, that's gonna be a hard one, Mark."

The underboss's voice lowered.

_"You'll see Felix if you act accordingly, do you understand?"_

Donghyuck felt the room spin just at those words and the mention of his best friend. 

"Is that understood?"

Donghyuck raised his eyes to Mark Lee's, putting up his act.

_"Sir yes sir."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all thought i'd forget about the nation's chinese legend kun? hell no. and ofc... STRAY KIDS HOO! anyways, i hope you enjoyed! leave a comment if you'd like and happy new year<3.
> 
> i will be posting updates about my stories and responding to comments on twitter!   
> follow me: @nctisgayy


	11. Teslas, Home, Always Be With You.

_They had left base._

Donghyuck didn't realize how much he had missed the sun, fresh air, trees, and the grass until he was taking it in with all his senses. The cool breeze felt nice in his hair as they emerged from the warehouse-like room into an area with tons of trees. Donghyuck didn't recognize any of the surroundings, but he didn't care at the moment. He was too amazed by how calm and peaceful the atmosphere was.

"I need you to put this blindfold on."

All calm and peaceful until the underboss next to him opened his mouth with words that made Donghyuck's blood boil under his skin. He whipped to Mark.

"You're  _fucking_  kidding."

He cut himself off when Mark grinned. So dorkily and stupidly, in fact, Donghyuck wanted nothing more than to back-hand it off the boy's perfectly-shaped lips.

"God, it was a joke, Donghyuck. Calm down."

That comment alone left the shorter wondering if there was something in this outdoor air that made assholes into slightly more considerate human beings.

"I didn't think you had a sense of humor," Donghyuck mumbled, watching between the trees up ahead as a building came into view.

"Where the hell are we anyway?"

"Somewhere you'll never know."

"I live in the city, dumbass. It's not every day I get to stroll through desolated forests with a mafia member."

"Well, now you can cross it off your bucket list," Mark mumbled, making Donghyuck roll his eyes for the ninth time in ten minutes.

The small building rapidly got closer, until Mark was unlocking a door and they were walking inside. Sensory lights flicked on, and Donghyuck barely held in his gasp.

So many expensive Teslas were lined in literal rows. They were gorgeous cars, every single one of them different shades of blue and red and yellow. Now, Donghyuck wasn't in any way a car guy, but you really didn't have to be when looking at these pretty vehicles. He was practically  _choking_  in the wealthiness that hung around in the air.

"Ever thought about dropping this whole underboss mafia thing and becoming a  _sugar daddy_?"

Mark snorted, pressing a button on the key Donghyuck didn't realize he was holding, making the first Tesla nearest to the door light up. The engine purred to life by itself.

Donghyuck walked over to the light blue beauty, staring at his reflection in the black-tinted windows. His eyes traced over his own face and the excited expression lighting his features.  _God, what was he doing? Why was he so excited when this wasn't even where he belonged?_

Upon realizing this, his face dropped slightly, and the excited glint was replaced with all the horror and stress he's been through in the past few weeks. The window rolled down suddenly, making him jump. He was now face-to-face with Mark sitting behind the wheel, strong hands gripping the leather as he gave Donghyuck a curious look. How he got there remained unanswered.

"You have to get in the other side."

Donghyuck scoffed, waving his hand dramatically, a little embarrassed.

"I know, I know."

 _Sure, he knows._ Donghyuck shuffled carefully to the other side of the car, standing back as the door opened vertically by itself. He climbed in hesitantly, the door closing behind him and the car beginning to move right away.

"Whoa, ever heard of passenger safety?" Donghyuck snapped, buckling in before he could slam his head off the dashboard.

"We're gonna be late."

Donghyuck sunk back in his seat, swallowing all his nerves that just ended up resting in the pit of his stomach as Mark drove to the front of the warehouse. The door slowly rolled up, like a garage door, revealing a normal backroad.

In all honesty, it was  _amazing_. This place was so closed off from society, and he had no clue where they were. It didn't even look like Seoul. Or what he knew of Korea.

He stole a glance at Mark who had two hands on the wheel, eyes glued to the road as he floored it and they were off. Donghyuck gripped the edges of the leather seat as the Tesla accelerated, his head forcing itself back against the headrest.

"Do other cars drive on this road?"

"Now, what do you think?"

Donghyuck stared dully at the road in front of them, which didn't even have lines through the middle. 

"I'm guessing  _no_."

He older chuckled, "Don't know how to drive yet?"

Donghyuck clenched his teeth at the teasing tone in Mark's voice.

"Listen, I live in a city where I walk everywhere. I don't really  _go_ anywhere else besides Felix's and my apartment so I never bothered with my permit or license-"

"Don't you mean you  _lived_ in a city?" Mark mumbled, tapping his thumbs against the steering wheel.

Now  _that_ made Donghyuck's blood boil in his veins. He took a shaky breath, holding himself back from lunging at Mark and steering the expensive Tesla into a tree.

"No, I mean  _live_. I  _live_ in the city, in Korea. I  _have_ an apartment, a home. I  _have_ a cat and I  _have_ a best friend. I  _like_ walking places, I  _like_ playing video games. I  _have_ a life there, present  _fucking_  tense. I will never, ever have a life here with you," Donghyuck spat, crossing his arms tight over his chest.

The car was filled with a deadly silence, and all he could hear was his own heartbeat thrumming in his ears until Mark's voice broke the quiet.

"What video games?"

Donghyuck could  _hardly_  believe this boy.

"Um- Mario Kart and Fortnite?"

Mark just chuckled, relaxing back in his seat as they continued down the backroad.

"If the Dreamies knew that sooner, they wouldn't have let you leave their dorm. They love video those stupid video games."

Donghyuck just shook his head, letting a long breath out of his lungs.

"Then maybe I should fucking stay," he mumbled with all the sarcasm the world, glancing over at the boy.

The corner of Mark's mouth lifted in a small smirk before silence fell over the car. Donghyuck didn't know how long they were driving for before the trees around the road started to clear. He saw the first car in the distance ahead of them, a regular, ordinary car and he knew they were getting close. To the city, hopefully. _To Felix._

"I have to make a stop first when we get there," Mark finally spoke for the first time in twenty minutes.

Donghyuck held back a groan, crossing his arms as they approached the first red light he'd seen since he wasn't abducted.

"What if someone catches you?" Donghyuck questioned curiously, "Like, the police."

"That doesn't happen," Mark dismissed, gaze fixed on the red light.

"How do you know?"

"I've gone into the city  _countless_ times, more times then you've been outside. My units and I haven't gotten caught  _once_ -"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it."

Donghyuck cut Mark's lecture off, reaching to touch the shiny dials and high-tech buttons. He pressed what looked like the power button for the radio, which turned on the screen in the middle of the dashboard and started playing a music station. He grinned successfully.

"You really need to learn to ask before you-"

"WOW! FANTASTIC BABY!"

Donghyuck sang along to the radio, again shutting Mark up hopelessly. The car ride went like this for the next fifteen minutes despite Mark's pleas for him to shut up so he could focus.

That was until Donghyuck  _finally_ recognized where he was. He stopped singing, eyes following the packed roads that filtered ahead to none other than the city.

_Seoul. His home. Felix._

He clenched his jaw, clasping his hands tightly in his lap as Mark glided through traffic. At the glimpse of the first building, Donghyuck felt tears threaten his eyes.

_Just a few more minutes, and he would see him._

A phone ringing suddenly ripped through the silence, making him jump and whip his head over to Mark. The boy shoved an earpiece in his ear before clicking a button on the steering wheel.

"Hello...?"

Donghyuck looked away, back out the window at the beginning of the city streets.  _All these people. He never thought he'd miss them._

"Yes there was a slight delay, we're in the city now. Are you still in the same spot? Okay good. Be there in about seven minutes."

Donghyuck sat, for seven, long minutes. He fidgeted with his sleeve, biting his lip when Mark pulled down a side street. They were just  _blocks_  away from his apartment. Close to where he was when he first ran into Mark and the other man.

They pulled up an alleyway, most clearly away from the public eye, and stopped the car. Donghyuck didn't think his heart could beat any faster and he unbuckled his seatbelt with shaky fingers.

Mark did the same, opening his door to exit the Tesla before coming to Donghyuck's side. He watched the boy look around quickly before opening his door, allowing him to step out and breathe in Seoul's air for the first time in weeks.

He never thought he'd miss a place as much as he did right now.

Mark took ahold of his forearm, guiding him further down the alleyway which snapped him out of his daze.

"A-Are you taking me to him?" he asked softly, falling in step beside Mark.

The underboss was silent, no expression lining his features as they reached the end of the alley, and then stopped.

"Chris, we're here," Mark announced to the clearly-empty looking alley.

Confused and slightly nervous, Donghyuck looked around, eyes stopping on three, no, four figures advancing up the alleyway the way he and Mark had come.

He zeroed in on one figure in particular, all saliva leaving his mouth, all motion and noise leaving his senses. He felt a rush enter his chest and lungs that was so powerful he almost fell to his knees. But, he didn't.

Instead, his feet and shaky bones carried him forward, and when he saw the boy ahead of him repeat the same action, he couldn't stop the tears from pouring out of his eyes.

He saw his best friend's pale face for only a split second before he was crashing into his arms, grabbing onto anything he could of Lee Felix. All that he's been through, every single bruise, every day, every second, every single ounce of pain, fear, sadness, and longing  _all_  dissolved.

Donghyuck pulled his head back, hands coming up immediately to cup his wet cheeks. He had the inability to form words as he looked into the eyes of his best friend he never thought he'd  _ever_ see again.

He spent those next ten seconds purely crying his eyes out and frantically looking over Felix's face as if he's never seen it before. The freckles on his cheeks and the bridge of his nose that faded up into dark eye bags were finally here. He reviled in the warm glint glossing over kind eyes, the eyes that were finally staring back at him and didn't just visit in sad dreams.

"God, what the f-fuck happened?" Felix sniffled with a watery smile, running his hand through Donghyuck's hair.

"I d-didn't think I'd see you again, f-fucking stupid ass," Donghyuck mumbled, voice full of shaky emotion.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you walk home alone that late! My dumb Hyuck, fuck you."

Another big hug, this one was long and comforting, one that simmered his racing heart and tired body.  _He was home._

That's when reality hit him like a speeding train, making him pull back and press his forehead to Felix's.

"Felix, we have to get out of here. We have to run, do something," Donghyuck whispered under his breath, staring wide-eyed at his best friend.

Felix's eyes glittered with something he couldn't read for a second.

"Hyuckie..." the younger mumbled.

Donghyuck's heart dropped to his stomach at his tone of voice, "What?"

Felix's eyes glistened with something, a frown on his lips, "I have to tell you something."

Donghyuck gripped the younger closer, finally removing his eyes from Felix's face to peer over the other's shoulder. Three other men stood many yards away, speaking to each other. His mouth went dry.

"Lix, who is that?"

His best friend casted his eyes down to their feet, bottom lip between his teeth. Donghyuck knew he did that when he was holding back something.

"Talk to me, Felix," Donghyuck's voice grew shaky once again.

"I made a deal, so I could see you."

Donghyuck felt like throwing up, trying to grasp onto the words. He didn't really understand or believe what he was saying.  _He didn't want to understand._

"You did what-?"

"Stay with Neo City and assimilate, Hyuck."

This time he fully gawked at those words that he could hardly believe just came out of Lee Felix's mouth.

"What? Felix a-are you-"

"There isn't a lot of time. I-I'm with a mafia called Stray Kids. It's the only way I'll be able to see you. I'm safe, and so are you. I promise."

Donghyuck felt the tears build up in his eyes again, gripping Felix's arms so tightly he thought he'd break them. He had so many questions, so many emotions, so many words to say but they all got caught in his throat and choked him.

He managed to get one sentence out with his wavering voice, "I-I just want our normal lives back."

He watched tears spill over his best friend's cheeks at his words. But then Felix spoke so quietly he had to almost read lips.

"I know me too. But Hyuckie, please. For now, behave. Please. Stray Kids and Neo City are good friends, and I promise we will see each other. Their boss, Chan, told me  _everything_. He promised me. There's so much about this that we don't know, and as of now there's no way out so you need to-"

"Felix I... I don't- I can't do this."

Felix let out a breathy sigh, watery eyes squinting when his lips raised in a little smile.  _Donghyuck missed that smile so much more than he thought. And his deep voice speaking to him_ _soothingly._

"Do you remember when you beat that creepy old man with your earbuds at the bus stop because he touched my ass? I'm pretty sure he has permanent scarring. Or when you almost fought the employee in that retail store because she told us to be quiet while dancing to Twice?"

Donghyuck let a helplessly sad and depressed laugh pass his lips, reminiscing for a second. He would do anything to reverse this so he could have his life back.

"That's the Lee Donghyuck I know and love. That's who I need you to be right now."

Donghyuck bit back another sob, wrapping his best friend tight in his arms, burying his face deep in his shoulder.

"I love you, dumby. I'll see you soon, again. Donghyuck, I promise you."

Everything all at once settled into Donghyuck's mind when he pulled back to look his best friend in the eyes.

"I'm always with you," the younger tapped Donghyuck's nose with one finger, smiling fondly.

"I k-know you are. I'm always with you, too. I love you so much."

A couple of seconds passed, before a completely new voice spoke.

"I'm really, really sorry to break you guys up, but we should start heading out so it doesn't get suspicious. Felix, are you ready?"

Donghyuck craned his neck up, locking eyes with a taller, buffer man. He had blond hair and pale skin that reflected the sun, wearing a heavy leather jacket. He looked like someone's dad.

"Hi, Donghyuck. I'm Bang Chan, please call me Chris. I'm the Boss of a mafia called Stray Kids."

Donghyuck blinked at the man, looking back to Felix who smiled slightly.

"I'm staying with them. We'll still be able to see each other, that's the... whole reason."

Donghyuck swallowed, guiltily.

"God Lix, y-you didn't have to-"

"Ah ah, shush. Chris is actually from Australia, too."

Donghyuck deadpanned back up at this  _Chris_ man, who smiled genuinely back at him. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he looked like a nice guy. And not the fake kind of nice.

He was at a loss for words at this point.

"Hyuckie, it will be okay. I'm staying with them."

"You have nothing to worry about, kid," Chris mumbled in a soft voice, patting Donghyuck lightly on the shoulder with a smile.

"We have to start leaving-"

"Please take care of him. Please keep him safe. Please," Donghyuck practically begged, looking the taller man right in the eyes, gripping onto Felix even tighter.

Chris only nodded once, firmly. The younger gazed back at his best friend, watery eyes and all.  _God, there's so much I want to tell you. Don't go, please._

"I-I love you, Felix. Okay?"

Felix smiled softly, his features gentle and wet with tears before pressing a kiss against Donghyuck's forehead.

"I love you too. I'll see you very soon. I'm with you, always."

Donghyuck felt his heart snap in two, physically feeling pain at the fact that he had to now leave Felix, whom he had just made aware that he was still very much alive.

One last hug, a long one, before he was pulling back and watching his best friend walk  _away_ from him, with Chris, and the two other men that he assumed were mafia members.

_What have their lives become?_

When Donghyuck turned around, he was faced with the underboss Mark Lee, standing against the side of his Tesla. When he caught the other's gaze, Felix's pleas for him to  _stay_  with Neo City echoed from his left brain to his right.

He made his way over to Mark, breathing knotted up in his lungs.

"Can we go now?" he asked the underboss, feeling the words he couldn't believe he just said weighing on his tongue.

Mark uncrossed his arms and made his way to Donghyuck's side of the car, brown eyes not ablaze with a glare for once. There was an ounce of surprise in them, of realization, of  _sympathy_.

"Yeah. We can."

He opened the door for Donghyuck, allowing the boy to climb inside and rest back against the leather. Mark got in the driver's seat, starting up the Tesla.

It was completely silent for a couple of seconds as Donghyuck took one last moment to breathe in Seoul, the city, his home. Mark shifted gears and began pulling out of the side alley.

Numbness spread throughout Donghyuck's entire body, and he was so mentally out of reality, he hardly noticed Mark pulling into the parking lot of  _his_ apartment building. He gawked, scrambling to sit up fully.

"What are we-"

"You have ten minutes to grab what you can and no more," Mark interrupted, shifting the car into park before looking over at the other.

Donghyuck was once again speechless.

" _Hurry_ , before I change my mind."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a field day writing this one, dear lord. when mark low key is starting to feel actual natural sympathetic non-sociopathic human feelings towards donghyuck because of his shitty situation..... says character development. but as cbx said; it ain't over yet ;)
> 
> thank you guys sm for baring with me. next chapter will be... interesting & not as sad i promise. hyuck is slowly starting to realize he is stuck with neo city. but, will it be as horrible as he thinks?
> 
> mark is a w hore
> 
> & follow my twitter for updates& author notes: @/nctisgayy
> 
> love u muah.


	12. Sunny, Sweetheart, Idfc.

_"You are not taking the fucking cat."_

_"I'm taking the fucking cat."_

Going back about ten minutes, the second Donghyuck set foot in his apartment, he was sprinting at top speed around the small complex while Mark stood by the door like some awkward bodyguard.

"SUNNY! BABY!"

The second he heard his cat jump down from the windowsill and trot over to him in a happy song of meows, he scooped her up in his arms.

Donghyuck hugged the last alive thing he had of his home, burying his face in his cat's golden fur that he missed so much more than he thought he could ever miss something.

It was silent otherwise, except for the occasional sniffle from Donghyuck as he tried his very hardest not to break down into a void of tears, again.

"Seven minutes," Mark's voice reminded him from the doorway.

"Oh, shut up."

Donghyuck rushed into his tiny kitchen, placing Sunny down on the floor before climbing up on the counter like a two-year-old, opening the top cabinet and grabbing the bag of cat food. When he realized Mark was standing in the kitchen with him, he shoved the bag of cat food into his arms before the underboss could react.

" _What_ -"

"Fucking hold this,  _please_."

Donghyuck burst into his pathetically-disheveled bedroom and grabbed his dusty duffle bag off of his desk. He was literally throwing articles of clothing into the bag within the next second, not even knowing half the things he was stuffing into his bag.

_Shirt, jeans, sweatpants, another shirt, more skinny jeans. Basically his whole closet._

He seized his Twice  _Summer Nights_ album from his bookshelf, along with a polaroid of him and Felix and shoved them into the duffle bag as well. His hands were shaking, teary-eyed as he tried to think of other basic human necessities.

His toothbrush, face wash, skincare routine, and his phone charger were soon being hurled into the bag. He hoped he would get his phone back soon, where ever it was taken to in that warehouse.

It was almost like he was packing for a sleepover.

Only it was most certainly  _not_  a sleepover. It was more of a  _being forced to assimilate into a mafia against his will_  type situation. Either way, he was still bringing  _Twice._

He basically lived at Felix's house, and that's where a lot of his items resided, therefore he didn't have a whole bunch he could take. Very smart of him.

Mark knocked on his door, "We have to go."

"One minute!"

Donghyuck almost broke his neck flinging himself back at his closet, grabbing his favorite black snapback and putting it on.

He barely zipped up his heavily overweight and bulging bag, looking around  _one last time_ at his bedroom. It's not like he spent much time in here, as told by the many  _dead succulents_ in his windowsill, but he was still obviously going to miss it. 

This was, after all, his first place after being kicked out- well, running away from his parent's home. It would always hold a special place for that reason, it was his personal symbol of freedom.

He slung his bag over his shoulder, blowing a sad kiss to his Twice poster before emerging back into the living room, where his cat was circling between Mark's legs curiously.

"Sunny baby, come here," Donghyuck snapped his fingers, his cat trotting over to him instantly.

He picked up the furball, slinging her over his shoulder. Sunny was very much a lap cat and loved to be held and cuddled, so worrying about her trying to wriggle away wouldn't be an issue.

That led events to now.

"You are  _not_ taking the fucking cat."

"I'm taking the fucking cat."

Mark gave him an agitated look, Donghyuck clutching his baby to his chest with a determined look that said he wasn't going to leave this cat for  _anything_.

"Mark Lee, be a good boy and pick up the bag of food and we can go. Otherwise, I swear that I will go completely batshit crazy and alert everybody in this building that you're basically kidnapping me. _Again_."

Easy to say that in the next minute or so they were back out at Mark's Tesla, tossing Donghyuck's bag into the backseat. 

The cat sat comfortably on Donghyuck's thighs, purring with satisfaction as Donghyuck fed her food out of his hand. Mark was in the driver's seat, sighing under his breath before starting up the car and beginning to pull out of the parking lot.

It was silent for the next few minutes as they drove out of the city, other than Sunny's purring and crunching on the food. Donghyuck moved his gaze away from his cat, glancing over at Mark for a brief moment.

The underboss's body language resembled some frustration with the way he was gripping the steering wheel, but his brown eyes were calmer than that at as they focused diligently on the road.

"Um, thank you," Donghyuck mumbled before he even knew what he was saying.

Mark's expression barely changed, "Why are you thanking me?"

He bit his lip, "Because... well, I don't know. I know you didn't have to take me back there. But you did, so I think that deserves some sort of... compliment."

Mark stopped at a red light, easing the car to a stop before looking over at Donghyuck. Why that made the younger so nervous? He didn't know. But his heart skipped a whole beat when their eyes met.

"Just don't mention it to anybody, okay?"

Donghyuck frowned, "Aren't they going to question why we brought back a cat?"

"I'll deal with that. Otherwise, you keep your mouth shut."

"There are more polite ways to say things, you know," Donghyuck grumbled, moving his eyes back down to his cat who was starting to shift around.

"But will you ever listen to me if I said things nicely?"

Donghyuck didn't reply, instead, he picked up Sunny and held her against his chest, pressing his cheek against her fur.

_"Exactly."_

The car ride was silent for another couple minutes as Donghyuck sunk into his own thoughts, stroking his cat as he stared out the window.

_How could so much happen in one day?_

His mind could barely comprehend every event that occurred in the past two hours. He felt an aching rotting in his gut, but also a fullness. Just seeing his best friend both shattered his heart into a million pieces,  _and_ empowered him.

Before he even knew it, the Tesla was pulling back into the warehouse they had left out of. He held Sunny close as Mark backed the car into its previous spot, and the doors opened.

"I'll carry your bag. Remember, keep your mouth shut and don't draw attention to yourself," Mark mumbled as Donghyuck stumbled out of the car.

His legs felt like jelly as he held Sunny in his arms, turning around to Mark slinging his giant, oversized bag over his shoulder with ease. It was hard not to laugh.

They left the warehouse full of pretty cars, making the short but sweet walk through the backwoods. Sunny almost slipped out of his grip when she saw the few leaves falling from the trees and fluttering around in the warm breeze.

He followed Mark back into the base, through a couple of doors before they were faced with the endless hallways again.

"Follow me."

"You don't have to keep saying that," Donghyuck taunted, almost grinning when Mark rolled his eyes.

It was strangely quiet, for the twenty-one or whatever men that lived here. But this place was also like the matrix and could house a small village, so it sort of made sense.

They entered the bedroom Donghyuck had been sleeping in the past couple nights, Mark setting the bulging duffle bag on his bed. Wait,  _his_ bed?

Donghyuck set Sunny down on the floor, the cat immediately getting to work on exploring the room, and sniffing every inch of the floor.

Mark watched the creature, before looking up at Donghyuck with serious eyes.  _Always so serious._ Just as Mark was about to open his mouth, probably to say something that was going to make Donghyuck roll his eyes in annoyance, the door swung open.

To his surprise, it was Jaehyun.

"I see you two are back..." the older trailed off, eyes now watching Donghyuck's cat jump up onto the bed.

It was all silent now, and Donghyuck had to press his lips together to contain his laughs at the way Mark Lee's face dropped.

"Um?" Jaehyun raised his eyebrows, looking from Donghyuck to the underboss.

Mark just rubbed his face with one hand, looking immensely stressed out and done with everything. Everything meaning Donghyuck.  _Hey, I'm your fault,_  the city boy wanted to say.

"It's a long story," Mark explained simply, Donghyuck's catching his gaze that read  _don't talk or I'll murder you_.

"Jesus- fine. We'll talk later. Boss insists we have a get-together tonight, in celebration of our recent good streak. It's also a time to relax and relieve stress, since I know we all  _definitely_ need that," Jaehyun basically spoke that last part to Mark, who didn't look fazed. 

Donghyuck bit his lip in thought, trying to picture exactly what Jaehyun meant by  _get together._

"He means a  _party_. We're having a party tonight with music and take out food and  _drinks_ -"

"No drinks for you, child."

Donghyuck didn't notice the boy that was in the doorway with Jaehyun until he spoke about this supposed  _party_. It was that Jaemin kid from Dream, with his messy sandy-brown hair.

The younger huffed, "don't act like you never had a drink when you were underage hyung-"

"I didn't. I had strict parents. Now get back to Kun."

Jaemin crossed his arms with a huff, not budging until he saw Sunny on the bed. Before the younger could explode in questions and awes, Mark spoke up, "Get back to Kun, now, Jaemin."

To this, the younger finally obeyed with a small pout, waving sadly to Donghyuck who just stared as the boy scurried out of the room.

"Anyways, it starts at 6 in the main hall. You're welcome to join at any time Donghyuck, if you're feeling up to it. It's just a left down the hall then a right and through the big doors. You'll see them."

Donghyuck nodded, mumbling a small  _thanks_ before staring back at his cat. Sunny was asleep on the bed, passed out on her side despite getting here ten minutes ago. It was like she didn't know they were both just taken from their home.

He then looked back up and noticed Jaehyun was gone, and Mark was halfway out the door.

"You can- unpack or whatever. And if you wanna come later, you can. You... should eat something I guess."

Donghyuck felt his stomach growl as Mark said that, making him bite his tongue.

"Yeah, okay."

Donghyuck waited for him to leave after that while he stared at his cat, just _waiting_  for this underboss to leave his room so he could sink into a depression.

"Uh, I appreciated your corporation today. Things went easier than I expected. So, thank you."

Donghyuck was once again thrown out of his train of thought. Mark always surprised him. So instead of responding with anything at all, he kept silent.

"I'll see you later."

Mark was gone after that, closing the door softly behind himself, leaving Donghyuck alone. Well, he at least had his cat now, his baby.

The city boy flopped down on the bed beside Sunny, pulling her close to his chest. 

"God... hope this works out," Donghyuck mumbled into her fur.

His cat nudged him with her head right under his chin, making him smile weakly.

"I won't leave you ever again. I promise. You're the last one I have left."

He glanced towards the door, holding his breath.

"And I  _can't_  risk caring about anybody else."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the kpop industry isn't F#$@&ING readY for Neo Zone and frankly, neither am i.  
> our boys be lookin' hella fine, every nctzen about to win again.
> 
> next chapter get ready for a lil partying.  
> and some drinking ofc, gotta be basic with that mafia frat house party >;)
> 
> muah! <3 thank you for reading today.


	13. Survive, Party, Dance the Night Away.

Donghyuck, after an hour or two, had finally finished unpacking the bomb that was his bag. He folded his clothing and placed them in the drawers that slid out from under the bed, which were kind of cool. He placed his toiletries in the bathroom, organizing them on the sink the way we would at his own home.

Just like moving into a new house, right?  _Sure_.

He shoved his Twice album and photo of him and Felix under his pillow inside the pillowcase for safekeeping. Then he took two cups from the bathroom and filled one with food and one with water, setting it on the floor for his cat. It was the best he could do for her right now.

It didn't even feel like any time went by with how busy he was, but when he glanced at the clock, it was already six. He felt his stomach growl noisily, making him groan and flop backward on the bed.

"Sunny, what do I do? Should I go?"

He sat up and looked down at his cat for an answer, who was staring back up at him from the floor. He tried reading her reflective green eyes, but he got nothing that could help him before she trotted over to her cup of food.

Donghyuck sighed heavily, wiping his face with one hand and standing up. If he already has an impulsive nature, so be it. But when he was hungry, it got worse.

_"Fuck it."_

_-_

Donghyuck spent the next five minutes fixing his hair in the bathroom mirror. It's not like he should care about his appearance right now, but he kind of made it a personality trait at this point.

He was going to be in the same room as, like what,  _twenty-one_ other very attractive men. Not like he could compare to their visuals, he just didn't want to look like a homeless person. Even though being homeless seemed more ideal than this. 

He hugged Sunny goodbye, telling her to make an escape without him if he doesn't make it back alive before he was stepping out the door and into the chilly hallway.

Donghyuck shivered, before making a left as Jaehyun had told him before and making his way through the oddly silent maze. When he reached the two big doors, he had already convinced himself that this was a bad idea and he should most definitely turn around and starve himself in his room.

But, of course, one of the doors opened before he could initiate any action. He held his breath, biting the inside of his cheek as the sound of music filled his ears, and the scene of what literally looked like a frat house party displayed itself in front of him.

In front of that frat house party holding the door and a cup, however, was a boy with a smile that was way too big for his face. It was cute though.

"Yay, you came! I'm YangYang. Come in!"

Lights, music, and every person in the room had a drink in their hand. Donghyuck had never been to a party, not to mention, a fucking  _mafia_ party. Not even when he was in high school, and a  _lot_ of scarring events occurred in that place.

Almost every pair of eyes flickered to him as he stepped inside that room, feeling the bass of the music rumble in his chest. He took a look around and spotted all of Dream scattered around the room, there was Johnny, Ten, Doyoung, Kun, and Sicheng talking with Yuta towards the back. As well as the other number of men he could hardly think to name at the moment.

But almost everybody was here, it seemed. Everybody, except for  _that_  somebody.  _The underboss._

He swallowed the dryness in his mouth, almost going into cardiac arrest when the music was suddenly turned down.

_Oh no._

Donghyuck felt as if his feet were glued to the floor as he spotted the Boss, Taeyong, with his bright blue hair reflecting off of the soft colored lights approaching him. Everybody was dressed comfortably, meanwhile, he was standing here, still in the jumper he went out in today. Okay, great start.

The Boss wore a little smile as he came up to him, a drink cup in his hand as he patted Donghyuck's shoulder comfortably.

"Glad you could make it," Taeyong grinned at him.

The smile that lighted his features gave him such a soft, soothing look. Donghyuck almost forgot he was the leader of a powerful mafia for just half a second.

Taeyong turned around to everybody, speaking.

"Donghyuck has made so many sacrifices, so many hard choices, and so many brave decisions to be here right now. He has, at last, proved himself to be apart of Neo City, and apart of our family."

Taeyong took a step towards his members, who were all listening before he glanced back at Donghyuck momentarily, a smile grazing his lips. The younger, however, was frozen with surprise as his eyes locked with the Boss.

"Now, let's thank him by treating him with endless compassion, protection, and trust. Let's teach him about loyalty and honesty. Let's show Donghyuck what family means here."

He could hardly believe his ears until there was cheering echoing throughout the room from all the men in it. The Dreamies were being the loudest from their corner of the room, hyping him up as if he was a celebrity.

_Was this really, really it? Was this his new home? Was this where he was predestined to end up in life? Apart of a mafia?_

"Donghyuck," Taeyong pushed a cup into his hand, the lights making everything around him more dramatic.

_"Welcome to Neo City, kid."_

A burst of excitement, but also fear spread through this chest as the music was once again turned up, and the party resumed as normal. Whatever normal was, anymore. He also didn't realize how breathless he actually was until he took a long, shaky breath in, catching all the little smiles he got.

Before he could even begin to think what to do next, someone was grabbing his arm.

"Hey, come hang with us."

Donghyuck turned around and was met with welcoming, excited eyes. It was the smaller boy, Renjun, with soft tossed hair and a grinning, adorable face. He had no choice but to follow as the boy guided him in the direction of a corner with a couch and a few beanbag chairs, where he saw most of the Dreamies practically  _bouncing_  off the walls.

He took notice of the way Renjun held his arm kind of tightly, and the way he sort of limped with each careful step. He remembered  _something_ about someone getting shot a couple of weeks before, he had overheard it in the hallways. Had it  _really_  been Renjun?

"Guys, this is Donghyuck!"

"Renjun, we literally know."

"Hi again, Donghyuck!"

"Welcome to Neo City!"

He was instantly greeted by Jaemin, Jeno, Chenle, and Jisung all at once. He would have absolutely  _hated_  to call it welcoming, cute, or wholesome, but it in fact was. Donghyuck gave a little wave, suddenly feeling extremely shy despite half of them being younger than him.

"Sit down, here," Chenle suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him on the couch between him and Jisung.

Fuck, he could barely look Chenle in the eyes after everything that has happened between them, and all the lies he's told. Yet, the younger seemed to think everything was sunshine and rainbows, so he might as well forget anything even occurred.

"Yo, you look hella good. How was your mission today?"

The question came from Jaemin, who he hadn't realized taken his cup and was now sipping out of it longingly. Donghyuck shrugged slightly, not at all knowing how he was supposed to answer that question.

_I saw my best friend who thought I was dead for a month, learned that he joined a mafia as well just to see me, realized that staying with this murder squad is the only way I'll be able to see him ever again, then cried and wished I was dead. Oh, but I got to keep my cat, so that was pretty dope._

"It was fine. A little mentally draining, but I guess that's just the consequence of being alive," he mumbled, making the group erupt into chuckles.

"I felt that," Renjun huffed, using Jaemin's shoulder for support as he slowly lowered himself to the beanbag chair on the floor.

Donghyuck tilted his head, "Are you... okay?"

Renjun looked up at him with a little smile, meanwhile, the rest of Dream was swept into a cold silence.  _Whoops._

"Yeah, I'm fine now. Recovering, but fine. I'm just glad I was cleared to make it tonight instead of being stuck in that  _stupid_ fucking bed all day."

Donghyuck just nodded, giving an apologetic look to Renjun. He almost didn't know how to act around these boys, like he was suddenly foreign to his own personality. He guessed that was normal though, right?

Jeno suddenly leaned forward, grinning.

"So, any hobbies? Music?"

Donghyuck took a breath, remembering what Mark had told him before about how the Dreamies played video games, just like he did.

"Y'know, I like video games. Mario Kart, Fortnite, everything like that-"

He was interrupted by several shouts and screams, all of which coming from the five boys in front of him. His heart almost stopped beating, to say the least.

"YO, NO WAY!"

"We play those all the time!"

Donghyuck couldn't help but crack a grin, "Not to brag, but I'm  _pretty_ good at Mario Kart."

"We'll see about that," Jisung smirked from beside him.

"We have a console our room and seven controllers. It's literally perfect. We'll have to all play tonight," Jaemin grinned.

Renjun rolled his eyes, "He's probably exhausted from today, let the boy get settled in before you go off and corrupt him."

"But he-"

"I'm already corrupted enough, trust me. If anything, I'll be the one doing the corrupting," Donghyuck cut in.

Renjun's eyes widened, everybody else bursting out into loud laughter. Even Donghyuck, he too caught himself laughing along with them, with these boys he really  _just_ met ten minutes ago.

But surprisingly, twenty more minutes rolled by quick and Donghyuck so engaged in conversation with each of the five boys he had forgotten he was running on literally no food, and barely any water.

Should he ask for food? Should he get up and find some? Should he keep his mouth shut and slowly starve? He opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, the ball of energy who had been staring at him for the past ten seconds beat him to it.

"Oh my god, you must be fucking starving! Of course, we can get food," Chenle exclaimed.

Donghyuck closed just mouth, tilting his head at the kid.  _Hold on, what the fuck?_

"How did you know?"

"We're not just normal kids, Donghyuck. We've been trained to notice specific body language so  _this_ doesn't happen to us."

He looked at Renjun who was pointing to his stomach area, trying desperately to wrap his head around the fact that these kids were way more mentally advanced than him, even when they acted the same immature way as he did.

"C'mon! I'll go with you."

Chenle grabbed his hand and yanked him up from the couch with strength Donghyuck couldn't accomplish even if he went to the gym for a year. And that was a joke in itself.

The younger led him away from their little corner, and over to where the  _older_ members were standing and chatting, drinks in hand. A few eyes cast to him when he walked by with Chenle, along with one playful wink from the adorable Jungwoo.

He was so focused on who was watching him however, he didn't notice that Chenle wasn't even in front of him anymore. He stopped walking immediately, searching for the boy everywhere until there was a hand on his shoulder making him jump.

"Hey."

He whipped around. Oh, thank  _goodness_ it was only Jaehyun. He relaxed a little just watching the smile on the handsome man's lips.

"Oh, hi."

"Didn't mean to scare you, are you alright?"

Donghyuck nodded slowly, scanning the big room again for the younger boy that led him here in the first place.

"Yeah... Chenle was taking me to get food and I kinda lost him."

Jaehyun chuckled lightly, shaking his head. Donghyuck quickly realized he felt the safest around him and didn't get the vibe that he was going to be murdered or judged.

"Not only is he a fast talker, but he's a fast walker as well. He's probably at the bar where the food is, down there," Jaehyun pointed a little ways behind everyone.

Donghyuck breathed out, "Oh, okay."

Jaehyun patted his shoulder like Taeyong had done before, except he let his hand linger there.

"If you ever need any help I'm here, alright? If you ever need to talk I promise I'll be the one to understand most of it. Trust me," Jaehyun explained, deep, brown eyes staring directly into Donghyuck's.

The other nodded, bowing his head slightly in gratefulness. That made him a little more comfortable, knowing that he maybe had someone to go to when things came crashing down around his head again.

"Thank you, hyung."

Jaehyun smiled, and Donghyuck watched him head back over to a big lounge area, seating himself next to Taeyong. Donghyuck took a breath, before scurrying over to the bar before another member could stop and talk to him.

He looked around  _again_ , but there was  _still_ no sign of Chenle by the food that looked really fucking good right now. He was about to grab a chip when he heard Chenle and a voice that made his bones freeze under his skin.

"Hyung, you came!"

_"Have you seen my brother?"_

"Yeah, he's over there."

Donghyuck didn't want to turn around when he heard the underboss, and instead frantically grabbed a sandwich from one of the trays.

"There you are, Hyuck! I didn't know where you went. Mark-hyung just got here, if you wanna go say hi."

"Uh-huh."

Donghyuck was already stuffing his mouth with the sandwich, hoping nobody but Chenle saw him doing this.  _God, it tasted so good. He never thought he could miss food this much._

"I knew you were starving. Eat all you want, we always have leftovers."

"Do you guys like- make this food?"

Chenle scoffed, "Oh, hell no. The only one of us that can cook well is Kun. And even he couldn't make all of this. We almost always order out."

Donghyuck nodded as he chewed, thinking about that for a few seconds.  _How did they order takeout when-_

"Hi, Lucas-hyung!"

Donghyuck almost choked when he saw the really big man, turning away and quickly swallowing the rest of the sandwich, barely chewing it.

"Hey, Lele."

Donghyuck finally turned around after wiping his mouth with his hand, trying to look casual. Lucas was really fucking tall. And hot, to say the very least.  _How did anyone breathe around here?_

The man smiled down him, "Sup, Donghyuck. Fitting in well?"

He nodded quickly, holding his breath when Lucas suddenly stepped really close to him, reaching around him to grab something.  _He smelled like a men's underwear ad, what the hell?_

"Sorry," he chuckled when he stepped back, holding up the cup to show Donghyuck what he was reaching for.

"Have a good night," Lucas reached his fist out, which Donghyuck met with his own before the handsome man smiled cheekily and walked away.

"Chenle, I literally cannot be around these men."

The younger frowned, before bursting out into little giggles as he handed Donghyuck a plate of food he didn't know Chenle had assembled.

"You'll get used to it. They can be kinda intimidating to a newcomer, but once you get settled in you'll realize they're just like you."

Donghyuck blinked at him as Chenle smiled.

"With the exception of... mostly everything."

-

"So, yeah. High school was a fucking nightmare. I got detention every other week because I would show up late to class. My teachers were dicks, it was hell," Donghyuck ranted to the group, who had asked him what high school was like.

He was surprised to learn that two of them were dropouts, and the other three didn't even attend. He wanted to ask about how they got to be apart of all this, but he didn't want to get that deep right now.

"Bro, I'm kinda sad we didn't go to high school," Jaemin nudged Jeno with a smirk, "We would have caused so much chaos."

Chenle leaned on Jisung's shoulder, pouting, "I would have loved to learn about plants in biology."

Donghyuck's heart shattered a bit at the younger's words. Chenle and Jisung especially were so young, almost too young for this.

"But we were taught stuff we actually need to know here," Jeno cut in.

Jaemin grinned slyly, "Yeah, like how to corrupt the government and steal."

Renjun shook his head at all of them, making Donghyuck chuckle. He really was like the mature mom of the bunch. And everything was making him want to get to know them more, they were such fun and interesting people to be around.

But, there was still the aching in his stomach and the sadness clouding his mind.  _He still missed his old life._

Before he could sink too deep into depressing thoughts, he stood up with his empty plate.

"Uh- wheres the trash?"

Renjun pointed over near the bar where everybody was standing, "Right over there."

Donghyuck nodded before heading over there, holding his breath the entire time.

"Donghyuck!"

The boy mentally groaned, discarding his plate before looking up to whoever called his name. He saw Taeyong's blue head of hair, and a hand beckoning him over to the bar where he was standing with Jaehyun, Johnny, Doyoung, Yuta, Sicheng, and  _Mark._

He clenched his teeth, before walking over with painful steps. Taeyong smiled, making room between him and Johnny for him to stand. Donghyuck took the spot, glancing at the men on the other side of the bar. They gave him decently un-hostile looks.

But then there was that stupid Mark Lee, who didn't give him any look in particular. He was dressed in a loose white t-shirt, with his fluffy black hair. Stupidly attractive. Donghyuck's eyes instantly went to his forearms, finally seeing the lines of tattoos Mark had when he raised his cup to his mouth.  _Whoa._

"Are the Dreamies treating you nice?" Taeyong asked, slinging an arm around his shoulders.

"Uh, yeah. They're good," Donghyuck replied nervously, fidgeting with the end of the counter.

"That's a relief. Right, Mark?" Taeyong chuckled.

The underboss just nodded silently.

"Mark told me you had a cat," Johnny spoke up with a smile, "You'll have to introduce us then."

Donghyuck chuckled nervously, "Y-Yeah, her name is Sunny. She's a couple of years old, and very friendly."

He locked eyes with Mark again, who just shook his head slightly in disapproval. Donghyuck suddenly got an idea.

"Mark was the whole reason I got to go get her. He let me pack a bag before we left the city."

He swore the whole group raised their eyebrows at the same time, heads turning to Mark. Donghyuck tried to hide his smirk as Mark's eyes widened slightly.

"That was nice of you," Jaehyun smiled.

"And stupid of you," Yuta mumbled, getting a smack from Sicheng.

Mark just shrugged, "It went fine."

Donghyuck was about to speak again, when someone shouted, "Oh fuck! I love this song!"

He turned around, seeing all the Dreamies in the middle of the room, busting it down to some Troye Sivan song he couldn't name at the moment. Donghyuck grinned.

"Hyungs! Come dance with us!"

All of a sudden Dream was flocking over to the bar. Jeno grabbed Taeyong and Jaehyun, Jaemin basically dragged Johnny and Doyoung, while Renjun collectivity stole Yuta and Winwin, who mumbled something about how Renjun shouldn't be dancing.

Chenle suddenly grabbed his arm as he got lost in watching the others being dragged off.

"Chenle, I-"

"Come on!"

He was basically dragged against his will to the group of people now dancing with the music. He glanced back briefly, seeing Mark being wrestled over by the youngest.  _Ha._

Chenle pulled him to the middle of the crowd of men, Donghyuck trying to apologize to whoever he knocked into on the way. The younger took his hands, smiling at him under the different colored lights as he moved to the music.

 _This_ was exactly like the movies, Donghyuck realized. He tried to take in everything at once, not wanting to blink. Everyone was dancing now, smiling and letting go of the persona's Donghyuck thought they had.

All of a sudden, this mafia seemed a little more just like young adults and teenagers having the times of their lives.

He looked around more and spotted the Boss, who was moving to the music with a big smile, arms thrown around... Jaehyun's neck?  _Oh._ He moved his eyes away instantly, his own body starting to move on his own to the music as Chenle exclaimed.

"You're good, Donghyuck!"

He smiled, finally getting into the music and letting himself go. He let his head roll back, and he stared at the ceiling.  _Felix_ , he thought of. How much his best friend would have loved this. He thought of his lonely apartment, even his parents, his life. His  _old_ life. And he realized something in the moment.

_He had to let it go. He needed to let it go if he wanted to exist._

He glanced around him again, seeing that even seemingly-quiet Sicheng dancing was with Yuta, both of them goofing off together. Next to them was Ten, who he hadn't seen all night, looking like a god with the way he moved his body to the music, Johnny staring him down a foot away. The Chinese members, the Yangyang kid and Hendery were dancing in such strange ways in the center, it was more funny than embarrassing to watch. That made him realize something-

_SMACK!_

He suddenly stumbled into someone hard, knocking the wind out of himself and almost falling to the floor if it hadn't been for the strong hands grabbing his shirt.  _How fucking embarrassing._

"Sorry I-"

He got to his feet, lifting his head and coming nose to nose with  _him_ just as the song faded out into a new one. He swore his heart stopped beating as soon as he saw those rough, brown eyes.

Where the  _fuck_ did he come from? What even just happened?

"Watch where you're going," Mark said, Donghyuck reading it off of his lips since he could barely hear anything.

He didn't look mad, and that's what scared Donghyuck to the core. That, and the fact that Mark's hands were still gripping the fabric on his torso, and his own hands were resting on Mark's shoulders.

"You watch where  _you're_ going," Donghyuck mumbled back weakly, attempting to sound threatening.

His heart was either beating way to fast or not at all when Mark's eyes narrowed at him. His cheekbones, his skin, his hair, his expression under the pink, purple, and blue hues.

Holy fuck.  _Holy fuck, no._

He couldn't do this, not right now. Not ever. Not with somebody like him, not with the way their faces were so close, not when Donghyuck had bruises on his neck because of this boy. Not the good kind. And most certainly  _not_  when this boy was the reason his old life had ended.

He pushed away from Mark, the hands falling from his torso. He had suddenly become foreign his own moral of letting his old life go.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" he shouted over the music, wrapping his arms around himself.

Mark shook his head, "I didn't do anything!"

"You did! You did everything!"

Some of the members turned to glance at them, but Donghyuck all of a sudden decided the stares didn't matter. He took a step towards Mark, getting in his face again.

"You ruined my life!"

Mark glared, "And you ruined mine."

He shouldn't have come. This was all a mistake. He balled his hands into fists.

"Hey," Jaehyun's calm voice was suddenly right by his ear.

Only, it didn't calm him down this time.

He was trying so hard not to cry as Mark glared at again before turning to storm his way out of the crowd. He turned around to Jaehyun, shaking with anger.

"Come on," Jaehyun took his hand, guiding him through the crowd to where he could finally breathe some fresh air.

Jaehyun didn't stop pulling him until they were outside the entire room and back in the hallways, against the doors. Donghyuck mentally cursed himself.

"I'm so sorry, you can get back to the party. I'll just go to my room-"

"I don't mind at all, Donghyuck."

He leaned his head back on the wood, rubbing his hands over his face.  _He was so stupid. Mark didn't even do anything in the moment that was bad, he just-_

His hands were suddenly being guided away from his face, and his watery eyes were met with Jaehyun's who was standing in front of him.

He was even more handsome up close, with the fullness in his cheeks and the way his light pink hair fell nicely over his forehead.

"It's going to be okay. It's going to take a little bit, but it's going to be okay."

He almost flinched when a hand came up to cup his cheek, but he didn't, he couldn't. He blinked up at the man, not knowing what to say. All he knew was that this affection right now got him to breathe normally.

Jaehyun smiled, "You look much better when you're calm and not so tense."

_That was all he needed._

"I'll walk you to your room."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> KICK IT LITERALLY DESTROYED ME! y'all better go stream right now and continue to stream.  
> i'm very proud of our boys, they put everything into this comeback. let's return the love by getting them a win! <3
> 
> on another note, i hope you enjoyed this emotional mess of a party! next chapter will go a little behind the scenes with jaeyong ;). and markhyuck will continue to hate each other... or at least they call it hate.
> 
> stay tuned, muah. <3


	14. Pure Love, My Responsibility, Unlike Me.

"How was he?"

Jaehyun picked up stray cups that had been knocked off the bar, throwing them into the trash.

"He's still really pissed at Mark. He was doing fine for a while, I think he gets along well with the Dreamies. But he knocked into Mark while we were dancing, I saw they got close, and Donghyuck snapped on him."

Taeyong let out a stale breath, rubbing his eyes before resting his forehead on the edge of the bar. This was  _all_ he needed right now, for his brother and a new member to be at each other's throats.  _Literally_.

"Great. Just  _great_ ," Taeyong mumbled, "Mark is so fucking stubborn. And so is Donghyuck, now I've figured out. How will this ever work?"

Before he could move away from the counter, arms were around his thin waist, and a strong chest was being pressed against his back.

The party had long ended. Taeyong and Jaehyun had stayed behind to clean up the little mess that everybody made, not like they minded at all. Any chance to spend some extra time with each other was ideal, no matter what they were doing.

Taeyong's body relaxed into Jaehyun's warm touch, twisting himself around in his arms so he was nose-to-nose with the younger.

"Donghyuck just needs time to adjust, I know you know that. Things will fall into place on their own. Mark will make sure that happens, even if that means breaking his stubborn facade."

Taeyong felt his anxieties slowly melt away like they did every time Jaehyun assured him of something that's been hurting his head for weeks.

But Jaehyun never bossed him around, and never pressured him when he was in tough situations. He only ever assured Taeyong and brought out new ideas he didn't even know he had. Since the beginning, it's always been like that, and it's become a working part of Taeyong's being as a mafia boss. He wouldn't be able to be himself without Jaehyun, for the sake of the mafia  _and_ himself as a person.

When Taeyong finally met gazes with him, love rested in Jaehyun's brown eyes, it was always pure love, "Just focus on the important things for right now, okay?"

Taeyong let a smile creep on his lips, cupping Jaehyun's cheek with his slender fingers, "I am."

Taeyong didn't give him a chance to even breathe before his lips were on Jaehyun's, kissing him with the same love that reflected in his eyes. The younger smiled and was quick to take control of the situation when he kissed back, his arms tugging at Taeyong's waist so their bodies were slotted impossibly closer.

The truth was they've been in love for years and years. Jaehyun told Taeyong he fell for him the night he found him bleeding in the middle of the road, but the older found that silly. Until Taeyong was healed, and until his mafia-boss facade melted, did he realize Jaehyun genuinely had a heart-to-heart with him. That he actually cared for Taeyong, in more ways than one.

And Taeyong took a look at himself and realized he had fallen so  _goddamn_  hard for this boy. God, he was so in love with Jaehyun he didn't even realize it for a whole year.

And sure, when Jaehyun put him in his car and took him to his house and took care of him those long years ago, Taeyong knew he couldn't just let Jaehyun go once he had healed. It was protocol of course, no bystanders, no witnesses.

But when Taeyong returned back at base with Jaehyun trailing closely at his hip helping him walk, let's just say it wasn't exactly  _all_  because of protocol.

And he had warned Jaehyun years ago that being in love with someone like him would only hurt him. Any day something could happen, every hour and every second was unpredictable. Someone could slip up, he himself could slip up and be killed or caught. Jaehyun would be risking his own life to love him, the boss of Asia's most powerful mafia.

And still, Jaehyun held him close and always said, "I'd risk the universe to love you."

Taeyong finally pulled back from the kiss to breathe, taking in everything about Jaehyun as he rested against him forehead-to-forehead.  _His scent, the feeling of his skin, his eyes, his stare._  Every part of him that he loved so much.

"I love you, I really love you," the older whispered, making Jaehyun's cheeks lift with a small grin.

"I really love you too, Taeyong. And I always will."

What Taeyong realized when Mark carried in a chloroformed boy that one night, is that Donghyuck turned out to be the only other person who was taken in for merely being a witness of a job. And he pondered briefly about Mark. Was it all just because of protocol for his brother?

"You're overthinking something again, I can tell. C'mon, get out of your head."

Taeyong blinked himself back into reality, focusing on Jaehyun's handsome face staring at him with curiosity. Meanwhile, Jaehyun wondered how Taeyong could look so innocent even when he's seen basically everything a human being shouldn't in a lifetime.

"It's nothing... it's just my brother. I can't tell what he's into anymore."

Taeyong slipped out of Jaehyun's arms to bend down and grab an empty cup, tossing it into the trash.

"As in romantically?"

"Yeah."

Jaehyun just chuckled, making Taeyong huff playfully and pull Jaehyun in close by his shirt, smoothing his hands over the younger's chest.

"He can like whoever he wants, I don't care. I just... can't tell with him, if he likes one or the other or both. You know how you can just tell with the younger ones...?"

Jaehyun grinned and nodded, reaching up to lace his fingers through Taeyong's soft blue hair. The older relaxed his head back again like Jaehyun had this magic touch that made his entire body turn to putty.

"I know what you mean. It didn't take long to figure out Jaemin and Jeno," Jaehyun chuckled, "But I think it's just part of Mark's nature to hide something like that."

"Yeah, I know," Taeyong sighed, "Ten is the master at predicting that stuff, but he can't even tell with Mark. And Ten is the gayest person I've ever met!"

Jaehyun laughed again, the low, pure sound filling Taeyong's chest with warmth. He missed being able to hear him laugh like that. With the insane schedules they've been dealing with every day its been really hard to get some alone time.

Jaehyun laid a soft kiss on Taeyong's forehead, making him smile, a soft blush tinting his cheeks no matter how many times he's done it.

"I think we can finish cleaning up tomorrow, hm?" Taeyong mumbled, tapping his fingers along the boy's collarbone.

Jaehyun nodded with his little signature smirk, gripping Taeyong's hips tight, "I think we can."

-

"Hey, hyung!"

Mark clenched his teeth, using every bit of strength he had in his body to not curse out. All he wanted to do was go back to his room, in peace. Mark turned around, meeting eyes with innocent Jaemin and Chenle's.

The youngest was clinging to Jaemin's arm with a sweet energy in his aura, and Mark knew he couldn't act cold towards Chenle when he was like this. That would just be cruel, even for him.

"Have you seen Donghyuck-hyung? I saw him leave with Jaehyun earlier... I didn't know if you knew where he was."

The oldest felt his blood boil at the sound of that name but easily kept his cool in his expression.

"I have no idea, but you two should be heading to bed soon. It's late."

"Chenle and I have clear schedules tomorrow morning, so we can sleep in," Jaemin explained with a toothy grin.

Mark mentally groaned, "Did you check his room?"

"Yes. He's not in there. His cat is though! She's so cute! I held her-"

"He's not in his room?" Mark interrupted, cutting off Chenle's ramble with a serious expression.

The youngest just shook his head, "Checked the bathroom and everything. I thought he was with you, to be honest..."

 _Fuck_ , Mark thought.  _No_ , he wasn't worried about Donghyuck. Surely he wasn't, but where else could he be? If not with the Dreamies, then with who? He could think of a few members who weren't quite fond of Donghyuck yet, but he couldn't be in trouble. Could he?

Mark shook his head, "Just go back to the dorm."

"Are you going to find him, hyung?"

"Don't worry about it, he's probably with Yong. If I see him I'll let you know."

He watched the two youngest give little worried pouts, but since they were given a direction, they listened and turned back to return to the dorms without another word. Mark watched them go down the hall, and the second they turned the corner, he went the opposite way.

_No, he wasn't worried._

It was just that  _technically_  Donghyuck is Mark's responsibly. So if the boy got hurt, lost, punched, walked into the wrong room at the wrong time, it would all be Mark's fault.  Just like he took responsibly for all of Dream.

So, he walked with a quickness in his pace down the hall and straight towards 127's dorm rooms. He walked in calmly, taking a quick glance around at Doyoung passed out on one of the beds, one arm over his eyes, and Johnny sitting at the desk with his back towards the door. Otherwise, the dorm was empty. This wasn't much of a surprise since some members had jobs to do and some just slept in other dorms.

He tried to leave without a trace, seeing that Donghyuck wasn't there, but Johnny was already facing him.  _Damnit_.

"What's up?"

Mark shrugged casually, drifting out the door, "Nothing, I was just seeing who was here."

Johnny nodded, jerking his head to Doyoung fast asleep on the bed.

"Just me and him. He fucking passed out and left me to do all these files.  _Asshole_ ," Johnny mumbled at Doyoung's sleeping body.

Mark nodded his head once, "I see. Good luck, hyung. And goodnight."

"Thanks, bro. Night."

Johnny waved him off before Mark was out the door and speed-walking down the hallway again, cursing softly under his breath. Donghyuck wasn't in his room, wasn't with the Dreamies, and wasn't in 127's dorm. Where  _the fuck_ was he?

He stopped by the medical room, peering in and seeing no lights on, and no one inside. Every other door inside the base was locked, Donghyuck wouldn't have been able to get in any of them. Mark clenched his fists, breaking into a jog.

_He needed to find Ten, he would know where he is._

On a new mission to Ten's office, he turned left and was about to make a short cut through the gym and training room. Though, his legs stopped him short of going any further than passed the gym's two doors, watching in shock as he saw  _Donghyuck_ throwing a punch at the punching bag.

Relief spread rapidly through Mark's chest, though he'd never admit it out loud as he watched him. Donghyuck was in sweatpants and a loose t-shirt, brown hair ruffled as he threw another hard punch at the bag, looking frustrated. The younger had been here the  _whole_  time, the one place Mark didn't even  _think_ to look.

He observed him, taking notice of how Donghyuck wasn't even wearing proper gloves and was hitting the bag with closed bare fists. His knuckles were probably split with the way he was throwing punch after angry punch.  _Damnit._

After a long debate with himself about just leaving, Mark took a breath. He  _had_  to get along with this boy at some point, not for all the good in him, but for the sake of the mafia as a whole. His personal feud with Donghyuck would only cause issues and distractions, which could lead to mistakes and slip-ups that could cost  _lives._ That was the only reason, he told himself, for the mafia.

_"What the hell do you want?"_

Mark had already been noticed, anyways. Donghyuck was facing him from yards away, slightly out of breath, eyes narrowed and clearly heavy with tiredness.

"You should be wearing gloves," Mark gestured to his hands.

He didn't have to be that close to see the eye roll that Donghyuck gave him. Mark shook his head and walked over to the cabinet beside Donghyuck, getting out a pair of boxing gloves. He walked towards Donghyuck who took a step back, but Mark was quick to grab one of the boy's wrists in a gentle hold. He tried to tear away, but Mark toughened his grip.

"Look," he said, inspecting the younger's red, bleeding and split knuckles.

He watched Donghyuck blow hair out of his face, and Mark took the chance to lock eyes with him then. The boy was clearly doing this out of anger, and he's sure most of it had to do with him.

"I don't care. Let them bleed."

"I think you've had enough tonight."

"Who says?"

_"Me."_

Donghyuck let out a dramatic groan, ripping his hand from Mark's grip and crossing his arms over his chest. The older, for half a second, realized how small the other actually was. The thought dissolved quickly.

"Come on. You should clean those out."

"Why do I have to listen to you?"

 _Because I'm second in command in this fucking mafia and you answer to me_ , Mark really wanted to say. But he knew that wasn't the route to getting the younger to stop fighting him, so he bit his tongue.

"Because I want to help you."

Donghyuck burst into loud laughter, even bending at the waist for comedic effect before standing back up.

"That's a fucking joke. You're not very good at lying when it comes to emotional things, Mark. I see the same hard stare from you every time you look at me-"

"Can you  _please_ just listen to me? For two seconds? Please?"

That swept Donghyuck into silence, the younger casting his eyes to the floor, "Go ahead, then."

Mark sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"This isn't going to  _work_. You fighting me all the time is going to get everything nowhere. I'm sorry this is your life now, I know you obviously hate it. And I get it, you hate me too. But for the safety of everybody here, everybody out there, and your friend, we  _need_ to get along. And you  _need_ to listen to me because if you fuck up or make anybody else fuck up, people could die. And I already had one of my youngest get shot in the stomach, I'm sure you know."

He watched Donghyuck visibly swallow, his gaze now stubbornly barely holding his own.

"You don't have to like me, that's not what I'm saying. But you  _do_ need to listen to me and cooperate with me for the sake of your life and ours. You can't be selfish, or stubborn. It just will not work out. Not here."

Mark took a breath after that, thankful the other didn't open his mouth that whole time. He caught Donghyuck's gaze again, the younger's eyes softer than they were before. It felt like hours before he spoke.

"Okay," Donghyuck mumbled playing with the hem of his shirt, "I agree."

Mark nodded, mentally thanking the universe for this.

"Good."

Donghyuck ran a hand through his hair, tiredly, taking a long breath, "See, I listen when you don't speak to me like a dog."

Mark scoffed playfully, only letting a small smile show when Donghyuck started laughing. His laugh was nasally, a lot like his voice, but Mark liked the sound of it, for some reason.

"I can wrap your knuckles if you wanna follow me out."

Donghyuck tilted his head at Mark, messy hair falling in his eyes, "Is that an order?"

Mark held back a stupid smile, "No, it's your choice this time."

"Then..." Donghyuck paused, "Sure."

Mark honestly didn't expect that, but he soon realized Donghyuck was full of surprises. He didn't know if that was a good thing, or a dangerous one.

Both boys left the gym, Mark leading the way back down the hallway. It was mostly quiet between the two of them, but that was okay because the silence wasn't filled with daggers like it usually was.

Mark led the younger into the medical room he stopped by before, opening the door for Donghyuck to head in before him. The motion-sensor lights flicked on immediately.

"If you wanna sit-"

"Already on it," Donghyuck interrupted, plopping down in the chair by the counter and sink.

Mark walked over and opened one of the drawers, getting out a gauze pad and wetting it with cold water.

"You know, I hate when you interrupt me," the older said, amused.

Mark held out his hand, expecting Donghyuck to show him the wounds on his knuckles. It was the least he could do for now, right?

"What are you doing?" Donghyuck asked.

"Give me your hand. I'm gonna clean the cuts out."

Donghyuck seemed surprised by the action, which made him ponder briefly until the boy finally gave Mark his hand. His skin was warm like  _fire_  and so soft, but the older ignored that. He pressed the gauze to Donghyuck's sore knuckles, cleaning the blood away with a couple of dabs. 

He felt eyes on him as he worked and tried to ignore it. Usually, it wouldn't bother him if it was anybody else.

"You do this a lot?"

Mark shrugged, "Yeah, I mean I split knuckles all the time."

Donghyuck giggled, "Oh, do you now? Where were  _your_  gloves? Huh?”

"You don't get gloves in the field, Hyuck."

Mark made quick eye contact, seeing the gentle shock sparkling in the other's eyes. He decided he liked it.

"I see."

Mark took away the gauze, feeling the other's fingers shift lightly on his palm. He ignored it, and instead spread the healing ointment across the cuts.

"How long were you at it in there?"

He felt the other shrug, "Couple hours."

Mark raised his eyebrows in surprise, taking the bandages and slowly beginning to wrap Donghyuck's knuckles carefully. He traced the bandages from the other's small wrist, to around his thumb, and over each knuckle before wrapping it back around again and securing it.

He didn't realize how intimate this actually was until he was looking down at Donghyuck who's big eyes were watching him with such softness, the most he's ever seen within them.

He almost forgot how to speak for a moment, "Other hand."

"You're... kinda good at taking care of people."

Mark swore to himself his heart didn't jump a beat, but it did, and he felt it. Donghyuck gave him his other small hand where he began performing the same treatment.

"Why aren't you a doctor like Sicheng and Yuta?"

Mark shook his head, "Everybody here knows basic first aid. Sicheng and Yuta deal with more serious injuries and surgeries. They're the ones that know everything."

Donghyuck grinned teasingly, "You're like, actually being gentle with me though."

Guilt crawled in Mark's stomach, remembering that whole long month ago when he grabbed Donghyuck by the neck and choked him for trying to escape. He acted out of frustration, and he didn't know if that came from him wanting to see Donghyuck fit in so quickly, or because of something else.

"That wasn't cool of me to hurt you like that by the way. And I'm really sorry, I'm just used to treating every situation with aggression," Mark rambled before he even thought about what to say.

Donghyuck's hand tightened his grip slightly on his, making Mark glance down at him in the chair. The boy was smiling slightly, looking so awake despite being so tired a moment before.

"Thanks," the boy said.

It was silent for the next minute or so until Mark was done wrapping his other hand. He put everything away while Donghyuck stood up, looking over Mark's work.

"I look like an MMA fighter," the younger grinned, holding up his wrapped fists in a defensive position once Mark turned around.

"Don't you actually have to be able to  _fight_  to be an MMA fighter...?" Mark mumbled.

Donghyuck glared playfully, "I can fight. I've fought an old man before in front of a gas station with only my earbuds, don't mean to brag."

Mark barely held back a chuckle, "Alright, sure then."

He didn't know what it was, but he didn't want to leave yet. Having a normal, or what was close to normal, conversation with the boy wasn't bad at all. Before he could overthink it, Donghyuck was tapping his shoulder.

"C'mon Mark, I'll show you."

"Not a good idea."

"Just throw a punch and I'll dodge it."

Mark thought about it for half a second, before sighing, knowing Donghyuck wouldn't let it go.

"Fine."

He got in a defensive position once the younger was ready, throwing a direct but soft punch his way which Donghyuck swiftly leaned away from, grinning once he succeeded.

"See! I did it."

"That wasn't bad, now throw one at me," Mark challenged.

He watched Donghyuck's eyes glitter with something once Mark began to play along, his face becoming serious as he held his fists up once again.

"Okay."

Donghyuck wound up his fist, but before he could even get it passed his own head, Mark had swept in close and pushed against the other's shoulder. Donghyuck stumbled backward so his back hit the wall, his eyes now blown wide at the quick movement. Mark was standing inches from him, face-to-face with the other.

"You're very off-balance in that stance, you'd get beaten immediately," he mumbled, locking eyes with Donghyuck's big doe ones.

He didn't move, and Donghyuck didn't push him away. Instead, the younger's eyes trailed down Mark's face, and to his neck. It was silent for a long moment, and Mark didn't even know if he was breathing or not.

"C-Can I see them? I know you have them."

The older took a step back, now confused. Donghyuck grabbed his forearm before he could go back any further, making him freeze.

"What are you-"

The sleeve of his shirt was being yanked up before he could finish his sentence, revealing the lines of tattoos he had wrapping up and down his forearm,

"These. I wanted to see," the boy mumbled.

He was speechless as Donghyuck immediately ran his fingers over the shapes and patterns, soft and fiery-warm against his skin. The other's finger's stopped at the birds scattered across his wrist. Mark had noticed the other staring at his arms before, but he didn't think he actually took  _this much_  of an interest in what he saw.

"Birds?"

Mark only nodded, not taking his eyes off of Donghyuck's face as the boy's eyes studied the ink on his arm, completely mesmerized.

"I've always wanted a tattoo... these are beautiful."

Donghyuck's fingers traced the first of four flowers that went all the way up onto his bicep but got cut off once it reached the rolled-up sleeve by his elbow. Curiosity was set in his eyes, and Mark found his skin tingling when Donghyuck pulled his fingers back.

"What do they mean?"

Their eyes met, Mark trying to gather his words.

"The lines are code that I was given when I was younger, they're identification. The flowers represent our mafia's units, and the birds are just a symbol."

"Of what?"

Donghyuck locked eyes with him. Mark felt so vulnerable at that moment, being so open with him, but for some reason it was okay.

"Its a symbol of commitment and hope. For the mafia," he explained briefly, rolling back down his sleeve.

He swore he heard Donghyuck let out a whine of some sort, but he could have just been paranoid. Or crazy, at this point.

"What about you though? You talk so much about the mafia, but what about your own life?"

"Neo City  _is_ my life," Mark replied, stepping back again, "It's late. You should get some sleep."

He opened the door for Donghyuck, who was still standing in the same spot for a couple of seconds longer before finally drifting out the door. Donghyuck had more to say, Mark could sense he always had more to say.

It was silent on their short walk back to the Donghyuck's room, Mark stopping in front of the door once they got there.  _He really thought this boy was in actual danger, how stupid was that? Everything turned out to be alright. More so._

"You can stay here for now till you get settled. Then it will be your choice to move in with the Dreamies, personally I would think long about your decision."

Donghyuck nodded silently, staring at the doorknob with a blank expression, "Thanks."

Mark didn't know how to put an end to the conversation and say goodnight, he didn't know how to just walk away which was  _so_ unlike himself. It puzzled him as to why he couldn't act the way he normally acted around Donghyuck, why there were changes in his normally serious thoughts and actions.

_God, how did this even happen?_

"Do you wanna come in and pet my cat?"

Mark snapped out of his thoughts, now locking gazes with Donghyuck's curiously shy expression. He knew he had things to get done. And he didn't even think about it twice, which again was not like underboss Mark Lee.

"Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did you stream kick it today? stream kick it, i know y'all bored in quarantine. 
> 
> but i hoped you liked this riskgAy chapter, there will be more to come and that's for sure. this story is obviously built around markhyuck's growing love-hate relationship, but i will also go into depth with other characters and relationships every now and then, like i did with jaeyong. so, expect more of that.
> 
> remember, please stay safe, wash your hands, and practice social distancing! 
> 
> stay happy&healthy, muah <3.
> 
>  
> 
> follow my twitter for updates! @nctisgayy


	15. Like Me, Action, It's Alright.

"She likes you."

Currently, not ten minutes after Donghyuck had gathered up every molecule of courage he had left in his body to invite Mark inside, they were both sitting across from each other on the floor. Sunny was perched on top of the underboss's leg, nudging his shoulder with her small head whenever he stopped petting her.

Donghyuck, watching them silently, deciding it was possibly one of the cutest things he's ever seen in all the years of his life. The stubborn, seemingly gangster underboss, and Donghyuck's sweet little golden cat.

He never could once predict that everything would end up like this. Not even from a few weeks, or days ago.

"Have you ever had a pet?" Donghyuck asked curiously, trying not to laugh at the way Mark failed to hide his smile.

"I grew up with dogs when I was much younger. But I haven't had a pet in years," the older explained, clearing his throat and letting his genuinely warm smile drop once he realized he had one on.

"I should go, it's late."

Donghyuck hated to admit that his heart sunk low in his chest when the other said that. He moved his eyes down carefully, playing with the tassels on the rug they were sitting on.

"You... I mean, you can go. But if you wanna stay you can... we've only been talking for a few minutes," Donghyuck mumbled, trying to keep the frown out of his voice.

Donghyuck realized how odd that sounded when he finished speaking, and really wished he would have kept quiet and nodded in agreement with the underboss. He saw some unhidden surprise on Mark's face, Sunny finally jumping off of him and hopping up on the bed, leaving them alone on the ground.

Terrifying, if you asked Donghyuck. Terrifying, but he didn't hate being so normal with the boy who kidnapped him in the first place. This was his home now, and now it was his turn to accept it.

"I have somethings to get done. But I would if I could," the older mumbled before getting to his feet, his serious gaze back on his face.

Donghyuck nodded solemnly and followed his movements, walking with Mark over to the door.

"But you would, if you could," Donghyuck clarified, half to get a rise out of the underboss, half for self-assurance.

Mark turned to smile at him, handsomely in fact, "Yeah. If I could."

Donghyuck had some trouble swallowing at first, but as Mark was opening the door he found reality once again after being momentarily knocked out.

There was a long pause to accommodate it, Mark stepping out into the hallway silently.

"Goodnight," spoke the underboss, turning to lock eyes with him.

Maybe it was like those scenes in the movies, but it was too much at the time for Donghyuck to realize that. Instead, he gripped the hem of his shirt nervously, everything he wanted to say hanging off the tip of his tongue.

"Goodnight. And, thank you. For... that."

He watched Mark's shoulders relax and his eyes immensely soften. Donghyuck didn't know why that scared him to the core of his stomach, but it did.

The underboss just nodded once, "No need to thank me."

"But... I did. So, accept it," Donghyuck shot back quickly, crossing his arms stubbornly.

_Just say something so I don't look like a complete idiot, Mark Lee. Either that or leave and never talk to me again._

"Alright then. You're welcome. Now, goodnight," Mark said finally, opening the door and stepping out into the hallway.

Donghyuck's feet took him forward, lingering in the doorway as Mark turned left down the hallway. Barely any thoughts were racing through Donghyuck's overwhelmed mind.

What, on this plant, just occurred right then? More importantly, why did it occur? He sighed roughly to himself as Mark slowly disappeared down the hallway. He stepped back inside and closed his door with a soft click, before facing his now-empty room. Other than Sunny, who was asleep on his bed.

Unfortunately, little did Donghyuck know, he had just missed the underboss's subtle glance back at the door, before he too sighed, and continued on his way for the night.   
  
  


-  
  
  


"Where the fuck did they come from?"

Taeyong laid an arm over Jaemin, instinctively to press him further against the wall. A little bump in the road wasn't usually a big deal when out running through missions, however, it had to be  _this_ exact situation where one wrong move could get all of them killed.

Mark was on the opposite wall, across the alleyway from the rest of the team with Ten by his side. Their mission was to perform a money heist on the city's largest gang's warehouse. The only problem was, they couldn't contact their only connection on the inside, Jungwoo, who had gone in hours before as an undercover. The boy was responsible for letting the rest of them know when to come in exactly when the coast was clear enough. Jungwoo was supposed to send a text to Jaemin, who was the team's only communication with him.

But, it's been way too long, a  _dangerous_  amount of long, and they didn't hear anything from him. Minutes before all of this, Jungwoo's tracker and earpiece had shut off and they completely lost connection, which was the  _easiest_  indication that he was in trouble. Their only choice right now was to fight against the risk, abandon the mission, and go inside to find him.

"We have to go, now," Taeyong's voice mumbled through Mark's earpiece, just as the younger was sliding his gun from his holster.

The voices up ahead from the gang members guarding the outside of the warehouse were getting louder, meaning they would be discovered soon if they didn't make a move. Mark shot his brother a look from across the alley, Taeyong nodding after a few seconds. They knew what to do, and the younger waited until Taeyong gave the instructions to the rest of the team.

Mark took a breath, "I'll go, cover me. Three, two-"

"I hear them!" a voice shouted.

_"ONE!"_

Mark pushed himself out from behind the wall, the team following, aiming and firing at the first person he saw standing at the end of the alley. Once he saw the gang members begin to fall, he began sprinting down the alley in the midst of bullets flying from both sides.

The city's gang was aggressive, and undoubtedly had some of the biggest men and women Mark had ever seen before. But what this city gang didn't have, was Ten. The ambitious, creative, intelligent sharpshooter never missed anyone of his targets, making him Neo City's most talented and valuable hitman and weapon in missions like this.

Mark didn't stop running, leaping over the bodies of the fallen gang to get to the entrance of the warehouse. He sharply turned the corner and was met with a large man immediately disarming him, leaving his gun flying to the ground.

He growled, fists going up, instantly resorting to physical combat. That, he succeeded in, being much smaller and faster, delivering and dodging most kicks and punches. Mark delivered a final blow to the big man's knee, hearing a loud crack and getting him to fall on his knees before grabbing his head and slamming it against the wall, knocking him out.

The underboss didn't waste any time hastily picking up his gun and busting through the two doors that were no longer guarded. The atmosphere inside was  _deafening_  as he was met with silent glares from all around the populated place. Every single gun barrel in the room was pointed directly at him, unwavering and sure.

Mark slowly put his hands up, his own gun hanging loosely between his fingers above his shoulders.

"PUT IT DOWN!" threatened a voice that echoed, Mark's eyes continuously scanning the room for any sign of Jungwoo.

Luckily, Ten was just on his tail. Mark heard the two clicks by the door behind him and the two words that set him off, " _Go, Mark."_

He darted for the first empty space he saw, guns from every part of the room beginning to fire at him, but he had cover in an instant. He slid across the floor to the left and began to bolt it down a hallway where he saw two men heading down.

Before they even noticed Mark, he was disarming them swiftly, knocking out the one with a sharp kick to the head. Before he could turn around and deal with the other, however, the second man took him by the shirt and drove his fist straight into his jaw.

_Hurt like a bitch, but everybody knows not to grab someone by the shirt._

Mark slammed his elbow down on the gang member's grip, kicking him in the stomach, the man stumbling backward with a groan. But before he could fall to the pavement, Mark grabbed him by his throat and threw him against the wall, using all his body strength to hold him there. He could taste blood on his mouth, wanting badly to spit it out.

Fear was now the only thing engraved on the man's face as Mark tightened his hold, "Where the fuck are you keeping him?"

The man didn't say a word, lips pressed to a harsh line. Mark pushed the barrel of his gun to his temple.

"Do you want to live? Fucking tell me!"

"D-Down the hall... second door on the right. Fuck yourself!"

Mark threw the man to the ground once he got what he wanted to hear, sprinting down the hallway exactly where the man described.

"Mark, where are you?"

It was Ten's voice in his earpiece.

"Finding Jungwoo... I'm down that hallway across from the entrance. The second door on the right."

Mark turned where he was met with a door, catching his own breath before twisting the nob as hard as he could.  _Locked. Fuck._ The underboss scowled, slamming his shoulder into the door and pulling on the knob, resulting in once again nothing. Without hesitation, he stood back, aiming his gun at the lock just under the door and firing at it until it was destroyed.

"Mark! Don't go through-"

Before Ten could finish shouting at him through his earpiece, Mark had pushed open the door, instantly diving behind the nearest piece of cover he saw as bullets literally  _rained_ down on him.

"Mark?!"

"Everybody, in here, now! I just sent my location."

Mark tapped on his watch, sending out his location to the whole team before peeking out the side of the box he was behind, bullets penetrating holes in it. The mere  _second_  he saw bodies of the gunmen on the other side begin to fall to the ground, he stood up and began shooting at them as well, his whole team with guns blazing beside him.

"Lucas! Go!" Taeyong yelled over the gunfire, the younger man who was already making a run for the hallway connected to the room, to find Jungwoo.

Mark stood with the rest of the team, continuing to wipe out all of the armed men and women in the room.

"Where's Jaemin?" Mark asked his brother, Taeyong glancing over at him briefly.

"Outside. I told him to go back to the van with Yuta. They're waiting, when Lucas gets Jungwoo we need to get out of here!"

Mark nodded once, ceasing fire only when every single body on the other side of the room was on the ground and unmoving. He let out the breath he was holding, shifting his gaze over to his team to make sure nobody was injured. Johnny and Jaehyun immediately went after Lucas for back up. Mark, his brother, Taeil, and Ten walked over to the bodies, checking each one of them.

 _This wasn't supposed to happen, the mission was failing, if not already failed. They needed to get out of here._ Mark cursed under his breath, just as a voice broke through on their earpieces.

"Once they get back with Woo, go to the door right outside the room one to the left of you, theres a window in there. You're up one floor from the nearest alley, jump into the dumpsters. And hurry, I diverted the police, but they'll still be here in about ten minutes, more gang members even sooner. We'll be at the alley in three minutes, hurry," Doyoung relayed instruction.

"Mark, go and see-" Taeyong started, but before he could finish, Johnny and Jaehyun were rushing out with Lucas at their tail, carrying a clearly-injured Jungwoo in his arms.

"We need to go, now. They're calling for backup," Johnny panted, waving towards the door, looking completely busted along with a limping Jaehyun.

"Yuta, get ready. Jungwoo is injured, bad," Jaehyun relayed into the earpiece.

Jungwoo's face was barely visible with the blood that coated his skin, clearly just barely hanging onto consciousness in Lucas's arms. The group didn't waste any more time and rushed out of the room and into the next one just down the hallway. Shouts erupted in the distance as they sprinted towards the only window, Taeyong firing at the glass until it was shattered and they could fit through.

"Lucas, go first. Doyoung will be there in one minute. Go!"

Lucas made his way through and stood at the edge of the windowsill, Jungwoo gripping onto his shirt, eyes fighting to stay open and voice struggling to speak.

"B-Be careful. If you need to, drop me first," the older mumbled, Lucas immediately shushing him and scoffing classically.

"You know I always have you."

Mark watched them jump, urging Jaehyun and Taeil next, then Johnny, then Ten, until it was just him and his brother. The shouts from outside the room were almost top volume and Mark turned just in time to aim and fire his gun at the men that busted through the door, Taeyong turning to shoot at them as well.

"Yong, jump. Now!" Mark shouted, never parting his sight from the enemy.

Taeyong continued firing, grabbing his brother by the back of his jumper and pulling him to the window, yanking both of them out. Mark fired his last bullet as he fell, hitting a man in the leg. Then all he saw was blue sky, for a millisecond, before he landed hard on a pile of trash inside of a dumpster. Just as Doyoung promised.

Veins racing with adrenaline, body full of pain, he scrambled to his feet, hopping out of the side of the dumpster, seeing Doyoung pulled up with the van. Everybody was inside but he and his brother. Just before bullets began to rain down from the windows above, the boss and his younger brother were diving in the back of the open van, the doors snapping shut as bullets pelted the side of the car. Doyoung stepped on the gas, peeling out of the alley and into the city streets.

Mark barely caught his breath, pain spreading from his neck to his back, coursing through his entire body from the rough impact. He sat up slowly, turning around to see Jungwoo flat on is back, Yuta working hard on stopping the bleeding coming from the younger's thigh.

There was an entire  _dagger_  protruding from it, making Mark bite his tongue as he glanced over at Johnny, who was slumped up against the side of the van. Jaehyun was kneeling at the front of the van, talking to Ten and Taeil in a low voice. And Lucas was found beside Jungwoo, where he was expected no less to be, holding the older's hand who was squeezing it so roughly his knuckles turned bright white.

_They had failed the mission. They never failed a mission, especially not with this crew. What the fuck went wrong?_

Mark looked over at his brother, who was panting, seemingly deep in thought before snapping out of it and sitting up, crawling over to Yuta and beginning to help in any way he could with Jungwoo. Mark glanced at the front of the car, seeing the back of Jaemin's head in the passenger's seat next to Doyoung, who had finally hit the silent backroads, taking them back to base.

Mark took a breath, before finding the will to hoist himself up, stepping over Johnny's legs and moving passed the others to reach Jaemin.

"Hyung," the younger exclaimed, grabbing onto his arm with wide, concerned eyes.

"Are you hurt?" Mark asked right away, examining the deep scratch on Jaemin's cheek.

"I'm fine, hyung. But you're not, you look like-"

"That doesn't matter right now. I need you to report back to Kun that the mission failed, headcount eleven. Tell him we have one severely injured, but it's being worked on. And send Sicheng to ready the medical room, we'll need cuts cleaned and stitched. Dream and everybody needs to help."

The youngest closed his mouth, nodding before pressing in on his earpiece, beginning to relay every bit of information to Kun. Mark let out a long, exhausted breath before turning around, being faced with Ten. The older wore a dull look, face dirty, hair ruffled, and lip split with dark blood.

"I'm sorry, Mark. You need to focus though, okay?"

The underboss clenched his fists, but nodded firmly, holding back his real thoughts on the situation as he looked over at everybody. Yuta was wrapping Jungwoo's leg, the younger-looking pale but otherwise in stable condition with Lucas by his side. Taeyong was talking closely with Jaehyun, voices dulled to a mumble. Johnny was silent, sitting side-by-side with Taeil, eyes closed with overwhelming exhaustion he was sure everybody was feeling the toll of right now.

_We're fine. It's fine. That's all that matters._

Time seemed to accelerate, and in no time Doyoung was pulling the van into the base's garage. Mark knew he was moving, walking, breathing, but he could barely feel it with how sore, beaten and tired his body was. Still, that was the least of his concerns, making sure everybody was out of the van and inside the base as soon as they stepped foot into the entrance.

"Medical room, all of you," Mark announced before his brother could.

He so focused on everything else he didn't even see Kun and the rest of Dream waiting for them as they entered.

"Hyungs..." Chenle mumbled sadly, Renjun pulling on his arm.

"C'mon, let's go see if we can help Sicheng and Yuta-hyung."

Mark followed everybody inside, the atmosphere in the base nothing but silent and dull. Nobody wanted to talk about it, that was most evident. Mark couldn't even look the Dreamies in the eye as he watched Lucas set Jungwoo down on the examining table inside the medical room. He had a rotting feeling in the pit of his stomach, one that was slowly eating away at him.

"Hyung, you're bleeding. Let's get you cleaned up," Jisung suddenly took his arm, guiding him over to the sink.

He snapped out of it looked around, seeing his own unit helping tend wounds, wash cuts, and contribute in any way they could. That's exactly the way he taught them. So, Mark complied, letting Jisung guide him over to the sink. The younger grabbed a clean towel, wetting it.

"I didn't have time to properly stitch, but I didn't the best I could to stop the bleeding..." he overheard Yuta mumble, probably to Sicheng.

"Then we'll do that now. Donghyuck, could you get me that box right there?"

 _Wait, Donghyuck?_ Mark moved his head to the side, away from Jisung's touch, where he did indeed see the boy handing off a box to Sicheng. But just as the underboss looked over, he was met with a pair of big, surprised eyes. Donghyuck's eyes.

"Hyung," Jisung guided his head back over, beginning to clean the blood from his face with the towel.

Whatever scratches, wounds, bruises Jisung was brushing over, Mark couldn't feel them. Not anymore, he hasn't felt them for years. He averted his gaze back to Jisung, who was so focused on tending to him when it really should be the other way around. At least, in Mark's eyes. Just as he was about to speak, he was interrupted.

"Jisung-ah, come here please," Kun was calling him.

The youngest's eyes blew over with guilt as he stared back at Mark, a frown upon his lips. Mark managed to fake the smallest of smiles, taking the towel from his hand.

"It's okay, Sung. Go ahead," the older assured, ruffling the younger's hair who gave a little breathy sigh but nodded and reported over to Kun.

Mark placed the towel down on the counter, the room now filled with mumbling voices, everybody busy with something. It was alright, everybody was stable, everything was okay.

Just as he was heading across the room to leave, the bane of his existence, the one thing that wasn't completely, perhaps, alright, grabbed onto his wrist. But, he didn't think that was a completely terrible thing.

"Where are you going?" Donghyuck asked him softly, voice unsure, probably unfamiliar with everything that was happening right now.

"I have work to do," Mark replied simply, his tired voice cutting-edge serious, or at least that's how he sounded in his head.

"But you look like shit."

"I'll be fine."

"Donghyuck, please tell Mark Lee he needs to give at least the tiniest fuck about his well being," his brother's voice, now annoying to his ears, sounded from the corner of the room.

That lifted some laughter in the otherwise deeply depressing atmosphere, and it made Donghyuck crack a little smile, "Just let me help you. You helped me before, it's only fair.”

Mark didn't think he could get anymore mentally, and physically drained than he already was right now, but as usual, he was wrong in these types of situations. Donghyuck tugged at his wrist, eyes sparkling with hope.

_"Fine."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh boy i had a STRUGGLE writing this chapter, but it's finally here :,)  
> you finally get to see what kind of missions Neo City goes on, and how much mark cares for his team, and not so much for himself. but.... maybe a certain boy can help with that.
> 
> hope you all are staying safe, happy and healthy.
> 
> love you, muah <3
> 
>  
> 
> lookout for updates on my other stories such as R.I.P TO MY YOUTH, my other m a t u r e markhyuck fic! leave a comment, kudos, and subscribe! ;)
> 
> & follow me on twitter for updates: nctisgayy


	16. Purpose, You > Me, Skin To Skin.

Donghyuck was as close as he ever thought he could get to somebody like Mark Lee ever in his entire life. Basically nose-to-nose with the man, here he was, gently dabbing the blood away from one of the many cuts and scratches lining Mark's face. He wondered briefly as to how they got in certain places.

But for once, Donghyuck was as quiet as he's ever been before, lips sealed and unmoving with questions, remarks, or comebacks that might further agitate the other boy. Getting on Mark Lee's nerves, for once,  _wasn't_  his intention or scheme.

However, on the inside, Donghyuck was completely on  _fire_ , burning with the desire to know  _what_  this mission was about, how it went, and what that meant for everybody now.

Judging by the denounced and slow entrance of the team on their return, the silent-filled walk to the medical room, and the avoided eye contact, the odds didn't seem very much in their favor.

" _The absolute least we can always do is help out,_ " Chenle had told him before he was being dragged by the arm down the hallway when announced by Kun that the team had returned to base.

Now, here he was, with his tenth-grade first aid class knowledge, tending to the wounds of a boy who probably,  _most_  likely didn't want him to be doing.

Donghyuck didn't even have to be gazing directly into Mark's eyes to sense agitation and overwhelmingly notable tiredness simmering deep in them. But what Donghyuck did find intriguing, however, besides everything about this situation, was the underboss's facial muscles that didn't even grimace, flinch, or twitch as he cleaned out one of the deepest cuts over the bridge of his nose.

_It was as if Mark didn't feel the pain, stinging, or burning. Like he didn't feel Donghyuck's touches at all._

Donghyuck suddenly paused his movements, removing the gauze from Mark's skin as if he had been electrocuted. Even under the pale, bright light of the hospital-like room, revealing every scratch, cut, bruise, bump, imperfection on Mark's entire face; those high-cheekbones, mangled black hair, and brown eyes still managed to appear ethereal and otherwise handsome.

He couldn't even believe Mark was allowing him to do this, or be this close, or so much as  _look_ at him. Donghyuck's eyes trailed down the older's face to his jaw, where he noticed a big, dark, purple bruise beginning to form, adding color to his otherwise pale skin.

Maybe, way in the beginning, it would have slightly  _amused_  Donghyuck to see Mark like this. But, that certainly wasn't the case right now. Not at all, really.

_"What happened...?"_

The question slipped out before he could stop it from reaching his lips, Mark's brown eyes racing down to catch his own, diverting his attention from the injury.

"Nothing," Mark's words weren't deadly, but they weren't completely nice either.

Donghyuck sucked in a breath, taking the risk, "Did you like, get punched, or what?"

Mark's eyes registered with frustration, Donghyuck's consequence, "Yes, now if you're not going to-"

"Who punched you?"

"This is  _completely_  unimportant right now."

"Who did you fight?"

The underboss scoffed, lightly, tired eyes now filled to the brim with frustration. Again, that wasn't Donghyuck's goal, and guilt settled quickly in his stomach as Mark turned and began hastily walking out of the medical room, eyes all around diverting to him.

Donghyuck, without thinking as he normally does, followed him with quick steps into the hallway. He seized Mark's wrist yet again with calm, anxious fingers.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"Donghyuck," Mark stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose, right where the deep cut was, "Just go."

"I just- I just wanted to know-"

"That's a fucking order. Now,  _go_."

The rest of Donghyuck's words got choked up in his throat, stepping back a little and nodding despite his instinct to go against the other's words.

He watched Mark walk away from him, disappearing soon down the hallway and around the corner. He was left with the strange feeling he  _severely_  fucked something up, but he didn't know if it was true or not.

"Hey, Hyuck. You okay...?"

Donghyuck turned around and quickly met eyes with the Boss, clearing his throat quickly, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine hyung."

Taeyong gave him a warm smile, reaching out and taking Donghyuck's arm gently, leading him back down the hallway. Donghyuck tried not to stare at the Boss's split lip, so he trained his eyes to the floor as they walked.

How did Taeyong even manage to have any energy right now? Meanwhile, Donghyuck felt as though he could sleep the rest of his life away when all he did today was train in the gym, and hang around with Dream.

"Just don't take that personally, okay?" Taeyong mumbled, squeezing Donghyuck's arm lightly.

_Oh, so he had been watching that whole shit show._

"It was my fault, I was asking too many questions, and I knew he was pissed."

Taeyong chuckled slightly, "It's not your fault, Hyuck. That's just Mark's personality especially when things don't go his way. He's a lot like a baby when it comes to that, I'll admit."

Donghyuck let out a fake, airy laugh as he stared at his feet.

"If you ever have questions, you can  _always_  ask me no matter what situation. And Jaehyun too, he's always a good guy to talk to. And if you don't feel comfortable with us, then, of course, you have the Dreamies."

Taeyong stopped walking, Donghyuck being forced to make hesitant eye contact with the Boss now. The elder either wasn't tired at all or masked it very, very well. Donghyuck assumed the latter.

"That's incredibly nice of you, hyung. Thank you," Donghyuck said quietly, attempting to smile.

Taeyong grinned, ruffling his hair, "Anytime you need it. Now, why don't you go back to the medical room? They're almost done in there."

Donghyuck nodded once, stepping back and bowing thankfully before turning slowly and making his way back to where he came from. That  _could_ have gone worse, now that he thought about it, the only problem was he didn't know if he could look Mark in the eye ever again.

_"Hyuckie!"_

Chenle pounced on him the second he stepped into the room, orange hair bouncing with his hyperactive movements.

"We're all done. Let's go play some video games."   
  
  
  


-  
  
  
  


"I thought we talked about this. Did we or did we not fucking talk about this,  _Mark_."

The younger of the two was facing the wall, fists and teeth immediately clenched as soon as he heard the door open. He knew this conversation was going to happen sooner or later, in front of everybody, or alone like they were now.

He turned to face his older brother, "It was in the moment."

"You can't just make decisions like that in _the moment_. That's no excuse. You need to make smart ones, the right ones. The ones I taught you," Taeyong snapped bitterly, only walking deeper into the dorm when Mark didn't respond, closing Mark's door behind himself.

His brother was referring to the mission today when they were the last two left to jump, and the gang busted in last second. Mark had told Taeyong to jump while he fired at the invading gang members.

"You could have gotten yourself killed. And you know that if we're both ever in a situation like that, where it's life or death, or close to it, you  _have_ to be the one to flee first. Without question. Do you hear me, Mark Lee? You should have jumped first."

The younger was about to head into the bathroom, stubbornly, biting his tongue to keep from speaking until his brother grabbed him by the shoulder and turned him around.

"Look at me right now.  _You_  are the one that's going to carry on this mafia after me, therefore  _your_ life has more value than mine and you've  _known_ that. Don't you ever pull that shit again, or I'll take you off all missions-"

"Don't pull that shit right now,  _Taeyong_. You're always so  _fucking_ focused on the wrong things. Did you even see us today?" Mark at last snapped, whipping around to face the other, eyes glaring.

"We  _failed_ that mission. We never fail, not with a team like that. For God's sake, Jungwoo's cover was blown and he was stabbed! When's the last time that happened? We were disorganized, and we got our asses kicked. We fucking  _failed_ , meanwhile you're so focused on-"

"Our mafias future? Oh, excuse me, little brother, but I'm not going to live till I'm fifty years old and you'll be the only blood family left to lead us," the Boss paused for a moment, before continuing.

"So  _yes_ , we failed a mission. We'll figure out the details when everybody is healed and rested. But right now, you need to shut up and listen to me," Taeyong took another long, frustrated breath.

"You're the one, Mark, that needs to get into your head that your life  _matters_. Not just to the whole mafia, but to  _me_ , as your brother. And you should matter to you, too. You need to stop training at the gym for a while, sit down, and instead start training your mind into believing you have a great purpose because you do," Taeyong stated firmly, seeing the discernment simmer in his sibling's eyes.

"You care  _so_ much about everybody else and those kids, take some of it for yourself. That's a  _fucking_ order," the older finished finally, never dropping his narrowed eyes from Mark's.

No more harsh words were spoken from either brother, but the silence between them perhaps was far worse. Mark wordlessly stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door behind himself, locking it and starting the shower right away. They would be screaming at each other all night if he had said anything further, and frankly, he was too exhausted for all that.

Breathing slightly heavy, he glanced at his mangled appearance in the mirror adjacent from him. He hadn't actually  _seen_ himself till now, realizing he'd been walking around looking like he's been put through a  _shredder_  for the past hour.

_What else was new?_

With a short sigh, and with barely any thought crossing his slowly shutting-down brain, he stripped himself from head to toe of his jumper, getting in the steaming shower.

The only thing currently on his mind was getting out of the shower as soon as he was finished and falling into the deepest, longest sleep possible. His plan was pursing that way, when he emerged cleanly from the water after about ten minutes, blindly putting his tired limbs in comfortable clothing.

He was seconds, mere  _seconds_ away from falling away into his bedsheets, when there was a soft  _knock_ at his door. The underboss held back from groaning, instead sighing roughly and going to answer it.

_What_ _could it possibly be now?_

But what would forever catch him off guard, however, never failing to surprise him and nag at him till he was on the verge of snapping, was the city boy he had taken home in that alley.

There he was, at his door.

Donghyuck stood obviously nervously, light brown hair tossed like waves and face just as soft and empathetic, holding a bag in both of his small hands.

The underboss was, for once,  _speechless_.

"Hi. Uh, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't get a chance to... finish fixing your injuries before so- I brought you some stuff you can use to help... that will hopefully make it better..."

Mark could barely get a single comprehensive thought to cross his brain as he stared in total disbelief at the boy in front of him. Donghyuck had really taken Mark's harsh words with empathy, for once, and actually felt  _bad_ about it when it wasn't even the younger's fault?

Once he remembered how to act like a real human being, Mark finally spoke, "Yes, I mean... yeah. Thank you."

He took the bag from Donghyuck, watching the younger's features flood with some relief.

_Goddamnit, Mark. Maybe you are as stupid as your brother thinks. Just_ _say goodnight and_ _go to_ _sleep._

But the second Donghyuck began to turn back down the hallway to return to his own room, something inside Mark  _shifted._

"You wouldn't want to... help me, would you? If you're not too tired," Mark blurted, mentally kicking himself at the way he sounded.

It was the least he could do, right? Show kindness?  _If that's what this was?_

Donghyuck stopped dead in his tracks, turning with eyes blown wide with immense surprise, "U-Um, yeah. Sure."

Mark didn't know what he had just gotten himself into as soon as Donghyuck set foot in his room. The younger had invited Mark inside his own room a couple of nights ago, so he assumed that he was just returning the gesture. This wasn't weird, right?

"Is this your own room...?" Donghyuck asked softly, Mark closing the door behind him.

"Uh, yeah. This one's mine," he replied, still trying hard to keep the shock out of his voice.

"You can sit any-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Donghyuck was plopping down on the rug next to his bed, crossing his legs and making himself look  _entirely_  smaller than he already was under the dimmed lights.

"That works," Mark mumbled, making Donghyuck crack a small smile.

_God, what was he doing_ _here?_

"Sit," Donghyuck patted the spot across from him, clearly just slightly nervous.

Mark, completely forgetting this was his own room, shook his head quickly and sat down across from the other. Donghyuck, avoiding eye contact, took the bag from Mark and opened it, taking out some medical supplies.

"Renjun actually helped me put this together because I didn't know where everything was in the medical room," the younger admitted, laying everything out beside him on the rug.

"You... you didn't have to do this, you know," Mark mumbled, watching Donghyuck carefully uncap the healing ointment.

"Well, I felt bad. So I did."

Mark held back a scoff, watching and almost stopping his own breathing when Donghyuck shuffled closer on his knees, their faces now level and their eyes locked.

"Um, I'm just gonna," Donghyuck said, with gentle, small fingers reaching up to hold the side of Mark's head.

The scene struck him like a speeding train, almost taking his breath away from his lungs. The warm fingers in his hair, holding his head, Donghyuck's eyes and features from this close proximity. Mark didn't ever want to admit it, or even think it, but Donghyuck was  _pretty_.

He couldn't possibly take his eyes away from the younger's face as Donghyuck's other hand came up to spread the cool gell across a scratch on his cheek. The boy seemed to be sucking in his own breath as he worked, so gently and carefully.

Mark suddenly felt the raging guilt hit him about earlier that day when he snapped at Donghyuck for merely asking innocent questions. Even after Mark promised himself that he wouldn't act like that way towards him anymore. He bit his tongue harshly, before finally relaxing his shoulders.

"I was punched in the jaw, by the way. By a gang member. He was a lot taller than me, and caught me off guard," Mark began explaining before he could stop himself.

Donghyuck froze his movements for a few seconds, before continuing to slowly trace the cuts with his fingers, only nodding once in response to Mark's story.  _He deserved to know_ _,_ he thought.

"The mission was a money heist at the city gang's warehouse. The first downfall was the loss of communication with Jungwoo, our only person on the inside. Then, it just went to shit from there. _We failed_ _it_."

He watched Donghyuck pause to take a short breath, fingers pulling back from his cheek once he had finished. The younger sat back on his heels away from Mark's face, a quietness to his aura, which Mark now knew  _wasn't_  like him. Donghyuck's eyes were trained to the floor as he removed a small bandaid from it's wrapping.

"I didn't mean to snap at you before. I was just... thinking about a lot. We don't usually fail missions like those."

Mark continued talking despite the boy's silence, trying to catch his eyes when they moved up and his face leaned close, those warm fingers laying the bandaid over the top-bridge of his nose and smoothing it out with gentle strokes. Still wordless, Donghyuck's soft eyes scanned over Mark's face, before he sat back once again and engaged in silence for a moment.

"It's... just a lot right now," the younger mumbled dully after a couple of seconds, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt, something Mark noticed he did a lot.

He wouldn't openly say his heart sunk a little in sympathy, but it did. This boy has been making him feel a lot of things Mark didn't know he wanted or needed to feel. Things he literally  _could not_  feel if he wanted to keep focus.

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

Mark was being careful, as careful as he knew how to be without taking it too far. Donghyuck barely looked up.

"I guess I'm just not used to all of this yet. And I kinda miss..." the younger trailed off, shaking his head slightly.

"Nothing, it's fine," Donghyuck looked back up, Mark just catching him blink some tears away.

"You can talk about it, if you want."

"Well, I don't want to," Donghyuck mumbled stubbornly, grabbing a gauze and leaning close again to wipe some of the blood from a still-bleeding cut under his left eye.

The younger shook his head in disbelief once he sat back on his heels, "Don't you feel that? The pain? Don't you feel it?"

His eyes were desperate and curious, Mark could read that off of him in an instant. And without thinking twice, Mark reached out, taking Donghyuck's hand by his wrist and bringing it up to his own neck.

He then gently took the boy's two fingers, trailing them along the center of his throat, where he knew there was a deep scar, easily feel-able even with the lightest touch. He caught the younger's breath hitch slightly.

"When I was little, I snuck out of my house and followed my father out on one of his  _missions_. I had no clue what they were about, or that they were dangerous. The man he was meeting to trade drugs saw me, and when I tried to run away, the man grabbed me and pressed the blade of a dagger into my neck."

Mark watched as Donghyuck's eyes grew wider, pupils expanding.

"My dad commanded him to stop, but the man didn't until my father gave him the money he wanted. When the man finally stopped, I was crying, and I could feel the blood coming out of my neck. My father took me home and fixed me, hit me across the head, and told me to never do that again. He told never to cry about pain. Because I could have ended up dead instead."

Mark let Donghyuck's hand go once he was finished, but the other's fingers didn't retract from his skin just yet. They felt so fiery warm, like hot sparks on a sheet of ice. Electrifying, and it scared the older slightly.

"Ever since then,  _I've felt nothing_."

Donghyuck slowly pulled his fingers back, never breaking his disbelieved gaze from Mark's steady brown eyes. Silence consumed the atmosphere, and the older didn't know if he should break it just yet.

But, Donghyuck didn't hesitate to, "I don't believe you."

Mark raised his eyebrows.

"I believe your story, I do. I just don't believe you can't feel anything. You have to be able to... feel something..."

The younger yawned softly, looking over Mark's face with hazy eyes evident with drowsiness. Mark had no words at this point, not knowing what to tell the boy.  _He was really something else_ _, wasn't he?_

"The bandaid over your nose kinda looks cute, actually," Donghyuck cracked a lazy smile, beginning to gather the medical stuff back together.

Mark scoffed, feeling his own heart thundering loudly in his ears at the strange comment, beginning to help Donghyuck put the supplies back in the small bag.

"You're tired. You should go to bed-"

"Tell me more stories, hyung. About you."

 _Hyung_. Donghyuck hadn't  _once ever_  called him by an honorific, and the older never expected he would with the stubbornness the kid radiated. Mark took a breath, practically seeing the boy sway with tiredness in front of him.

"Alright, fine. Just one."

Donghyuck got comfortable on the floor next to Mark's bed, leaning his shoulder against the side of the mattress and curling in on himself, nodding for him to continue.

"What kind of story do you want to hear?"

"An insane one."

"Define insane."

Donghyuck grinned, "Not sane."

Mark rolled his eyes promptly, making Donghyuck burst into a small fit of laughs.  _This isn't bad, just breathe_ , Mark thought to himself, watching the other recover. He could  _hardly_  believe this was even happening right now, at a time he least expected.

_"Okay, I have one. Are you ready?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> achievement unlocked: markhyuck are growing closer!  
> i hope you enjoyed this kinda intimate yet angsty chapter, there will be a lot more in the future.  
> taeyong wants mark to matter to himself, though mark is stubborn. but, can donghyuck change that?
> 
> i also wanted to literally thank you guys so much for all the thoughtful comments and feedback you guys leave.  
> reading your comments genuinely makes my day & makes me smile. i appreciate it so much, so thank you! ❀
> 
> make sure you are taking care of yourself, eating, drinking water, and keeping healthy & happy. you matter so much!
> 
> love you guys, muah <3.
> 
>  
> 
> follow my twitter if you would like: nctisgayy ♡


	17. Fever Dream, Alive, Worried About You.

When Donghyuck's body ever so slowly began waking up to join the rest of the world, he felt like he had gotten the  _best_ bunch of sleep in his entire nineteen years of life. He felt so comfortably warm, the kind of warm that made you  _never_ want to leave your bedsheets and fall back into the same slumber you awoke from.

_This felt so good. Like he was finally able to properly relax after a whole month of feeling like the sky was falling down on him._

The blanket he was wrapped in felt like a euphoria was bestowed upon him, and he almost fell back into a state of sleep. However, whenhe finally cracked his eyes open the smallest bit to take in his surroundings, he realized something.

_Holy fuck. This wasn't his room._

Emerging from his current hazy headspace, he threw the warm blankets off himself, eyes widening as he slowly deadpanned around the empty room.

_Now, to say he felt like imploding on himself was an understatement._

" _What the fuck_ ," he mumbled, pushing himself off the bed and onto the rug, body frozen in the middle of  _Mark Lee's_ goddamn room _._

He mentally screamed at himself, hands shakily moving to his hair as he glanced back at the empty bed, where he emerged from. So he woke up in the underboss's bed, completely  _alone_.

_Had he really fallen asleep here last night? Why didn't Mark just wake him up and kick him out? Why did he always do this stupid shit himself?_

Donghyuck looked around once again, making sure his mind wasn't deceiving him. There was nobody here but him, that was for sure. The older must have left before he woke up, making him cringe, suddenly feeling really awkward at the fact that Mark probably saw how ugly he was when he slept.

His eyes flew around the room for a clock, realizing there as none in sight.  _Damnit._

Without another single comprehensive thought, he scrambled to arrange the covers as neatly as he could on the bed before flying to the door and whipping it open with a force stronger than  _God_ himself.

And, of course, he was met with, " _Donghyuck_?"

Definitely not his proudest moment, with the way Chenle's eyes were so wide, curious, filled with shock, seeing Donghyuck just throw himself out of the underboss's room looking like he was escaping a murderer scene.

The words practically fell out of Chenle's mouth, "Why were you in Mark-hyung's room?"

"I-I just fell asleep last night-"

"Oh my gosh, did you two-"

"Zhong Chenle!"

He screamed at the other, voice-cracking as he grabbed the boy by the shoulders and pulled him close, forcing the younger to look him directly in the eyes.

"You will tell  _nobody_  about this. Alright? I came to him late last night to drop off something and we got to talking. I fell asleep. That's  _all_  that happened, okay?"

Donghyuck suddenly  _fully_  understood Mark's frustration with him when he didn't listen to his words, because Chenle's grin was so big it was scaring him, and making him lose years of his life at the same time.

"Okay, I won't tell anybody about you and Mark-hyung."

"Chenle, there is no me and Mark-hyung!"

"Alright,  _sure_."

Donghyuck swore to whatever higher power there was that he could strangle this kid in front of him right now, with his bare hands. But, something stopped him. Rather, someone stopped him.

"What's going on?" Jaemin was now strolling down the hallway, planting himself beside Chenle with a curious, little smile framing his face.

"Donghyuck-hyung and Mark-hyung-"

"Nothing, Jaemin. Nothing. Let's just go get breakfast, yeah?" Donghyuck mumbled before Chenle could finish.

The two boys gave him odd looks, "Hyung, it's almost  _noon_."

Donghyuck almost choked, suddenly wishing he had never woken up in the first place. And perhaps when Mark came back to his room later that day, Donghyuck's dead corpse would be the only thing left in his bed.

That would be ideal for both of them,  _at this point_.

"Great. Okay, fucking  _great_. Where is everybody?"

"The hyungs are in a meeting. We're supposed to be waiting in the dorm, but we got bored. We assumed you were with them," Jaemin explained, reaching out to smooth down Donghyuck's probably  _insanely_ messy hair.

"Okay. Well, I'm going to take a shower. If any of you need me, I'll be in my room. Okay?"

"Why are you breathing so heavily, hyung?"

Hyuck closed his mouth quickly, realizing his heartbeat was thundering loudly in his chest and his breathing was slightly erratic.

_What was this?_

"I'm fine, okay? I'm fine. I'll be back," he mumbled, shaking his head before turning down the hallway to retreat to his room, away from the two younger boys.

_Hopefully, this feeling would go away and he could semi-sanely resume his life. For now, though, his heart wouldn't stop beating so goddamn fast._

-

"Keep your trackers on, okay? Chenle, do you hear me?"

"Yes, hyung! It's on."

"Jisung, is yours-"

" _Yes_ , Kun-hyung."

"I'm just checking..." the oldest grumbled, watching them with a heavy gaze as Jaehyun let out a soft sigh from the other side of the room.

"Hyung, it's going to be fine. We'll be back within four hours, okay? It's just an exchange, and I'll be with them the  _whole_  time," Jaehyun explained calmly, assuring the worried man.

"I know, I know. They haven't been on a mission in a while... and I'm just making sure they're ready."

Donghyuck watched all of this unfold, standing by Kun who was  _again_  triple-checking that the two boys had everything they needed.

He could easily tell Kun was  _very_ protective over the two youngest, and Dream's unit in general with the amount of time he spends training them to their fullest. But, who could blame him? After what happened with Renjun, it seemed like you couldn't be  _too_ careful anymore.

Donghyuck locked gazes with Jaehyun by accident, the older giving him a warm smile, beckoning him over to the table where he was loading some kind of scary-looking gun he didn't want to ask about. He kept his eyes down, watching Jaehyun's hands mess with the black weapon.

"Hey, you doing okay?" the older asked calmly, glancing up to meet Donghyuck's eyes.

"Yeah... I'm fine. I'm getting there."

"That's good to hear. So, you're feeling alright?" Jaehyun asked again, curiously almost.

Donghyuck wondered briefly why Jaehyun was asking the same question so intently, but just ended up nodding anyways.

"Yeah, I'm good. Is there something wrong, hyung...?"

"Oh no, not at all. I'm just making sure. If you ever need anything, I'm here. Well, not for the next four hours or so, but you know what I mean."

Donghyuck forced out a chuckle, smiling sincerely in response, wondering how Jaehyun managed to always look so handsomely cool and un-awkward.

"Well thanks, hyung. I appreciate-"

_"HYUCK!"_

Before he could even finish his sentence, he was being jumped,  _literally_ , by the second youngest. Almost toppling over, he barely managed to support both his own weight and Chenle's, who was now clinging to his back like a koala.

_This kid had so much goddamn energy, it was almost unbelievable. It reminded him of a certain someone._

"Don't miss me too much while I'm gone, okay?"

"Don't worry, I don't think that will be hard," Donghyuck grinned, wincing when Chenle pinched his shoulder.

"You punk! I'll destroy you!"

Donghyuck burst out into loud laughs as Chenle tried to take him down to the ground, but instead, he grabbed the younger's arms and twisted himself around before he could succeed in body-slamming him to the floor. Wrestling with the younger boy usually was degrading to himself. The kid had lots of muscle, leaving Donghyuck regretting challenging him to matches.

"I'm going to kick your ass in the gym when you're back, I'll  _show you_ -"

"Okay, not right now, kids. This is not the time," Kun scolded from afar, Chenle sticking his tongue out playfully at Donghyuck who returned the gesture.

"We'll be going then," Jaehyun announced over all their voices, beckoning towards the door.

Kun's eyes widened immensely, quickly rushing over to Chenle and Jisung, checking them once again head to toe.

"You're sure you two are ready for this? You know you can wait a little longer-"

"Hyung! We haven't been out in  _months_. We'll be fine, Lele and I need this," Jisung spoke firmly, much like an adult, making Kun sigh softly and step back in silence.

"Okay. You're in good hands. Just be careful, all of you," said the oldest, glancing over at Jaehyun too who smiled warmly and bowed his head shortly.

"Of course, we'll be back later, I'll communicate times. Now, let's go you two."

"Goodbye! We love you, Kun-hyung. And bye, Hyuckie! Don't be bad."

"Bye, Lele, Jisung!," Donghyuck called after them as they slipped out the big door to the outside, following Jaehyun.

The door rattled shut, then locked automatically as silence consumed the air, no longer filled with chatter or yells. Donghyuck turned back around to Kun, who was standing with a concerned frown still framing his lips, staring longingly at the door which they had just left. He resembled a mother who's only children just left for college.

Except, not at all.

"Hey, hyung. It's gonna be okay, they're with Jaehyun."

"I know," the eldest mumbled, "It's just... harder to let them go now than ever."

Donghyuck let those words sink into the atmosphere, not saying a sentence more as Kun wiped away his upset features and nervously furrowed eyebrows.

"Alright. It's past midday, how about you go back to the dorm and I'll call you for training in a bit, okay?"

Donghyuck nodded, just barely missing the tears gathered at the edges of Kun's soft brown eyes being blinked away rapidly.

He was learning more and more by the day, not just about rules, routines, and schedules, but more about the  _people_ , their personalities, their weak spots, and their  _feelings_. It wasn't something he'd ever picture himself being so invested and interested in, but it  _was_. And it made him feel more aliveand relaxed, more than anything. To know he wasn't living with a bunch of androids.

"I'll see you later, Kun-hyung."

-

"Make sure you're exhaling sharply with every punch. That can be represented with a noise or just a forceful breath."

Donghyuck took Kun's words into consideration as he squared up to the older man, fists up in front of his face and ready to start. With his first punch he threw at Kun's head, which was of course blocked, he exhaled sharply like he had been told.

"Good,  _again_. Balance yourself, drive your fist with your elbow."

Donghyuck took a long breath, focusing intently on his intended targets he was told to aim for; the face and throat. He threw several more hard punches, blocked by the soft pads on Kun's hands every single time.

He quickly found himself enjoying having training sessions in the gym. Whether he was by himself or practicing with Kun who was teaching him and giving him tips, it was a  _huge_  stress-reliever. Every time he threw a punch or a kick, he slowly felt a bad apart of himself dissolve.

"Good! You're improving well, Donghyuck. Work on the bag for a while, then you can go to the-"

_"Sorry for interrupting, hyung. We need you for a minute."_

Donghyuck turned quickly towards the door at the sound of that voice, biting his tongue when he saw  _Mark Lee_  standing in the gym's doorway, fully dressed in a dark blue suit. The same suit, it looked like, from the day Donghyuck was taken.

_Had it been that long? No, only a month._

"Hyuck, just work on the punching bag, okay? Then you're free to go," Kun instructed, though Donghyuck barely heard him before the older was putting his material away and leaving out the doors.

_Stay focused._

Donghyuck took a short breath, walking over to the corner of the room to the charred-red punching bag. He reached out, centering the big piece of leather with his hand, staring intently at the spots that have been abused.

He quietly got into a defensive position, letting his mind ease into a state of calmness before throwing his first punch.

" _You're getting better_ , I was watching you with Kun."

Donghyuck nearly jumped, clutching his chest as he turned around to face the underboss himself, now standing a few yards away.

He let out his stale breath, "You startled me."

Mark's mouth twitched, "I'm sorry, I thought you saw me at the door."

"I didn't know you came in. I don't have eyes in the back of my head, you know."

"Ah, I thought you did. My bad."

Donghyuck narrowed his eyes with frustration as Mark smiled, just slightly. It was enough to get Donghyuck to roll his eyes, because despite the healing cut over his nose, and scratches on his face looking like he had been in a fight with his cat, he still managed to look handsome.

But this  _idiot_ , not even acting weird at all, like Donghyuck hadn't literally  _slept_  in his bed and woken up in it, confused and dazed. He couldn't believe this man right now, having the  _nerve_ to act cool.

"Where are you going all dressed up?" Donghyuck asked curiously, turning back towards the punching bag, trying to keep the nervous tone out of his voice.

Mark paused for a second, "I have a date."

Donghyuck literally choked on the air, "You  _w-what_?"

He whirled back around in a flash, practically giving himself whiplash as he blinked, wide-eyed at the older. Mark was grinning, of course. _Damn him_.

"I was kidding, Donghyuck. I'm attending a meeting soon, don't get yourself worked up."

Donghyuck closed his open mouth, clearing his throat and trying to keep his sanity with him, "Oh, well fuck you."

_So, Mark thinks he has the nerve to joke around with him now? As if everything was fine?_

"Alright, that's it," Donghyuck closed the distance between them with quick strides, planting himself in front of the older.

"Why did you let me sleep in your bed? Why didn't you just wake me up? Where did you sleep? Why didn't you tell me or talk to me? You  _idiot_."

Mark's face was completely blank, except for the slight surprise resting deep in his wide eyes, "I... you seemed really tired. I just let you sleep."

"And where did you sleep,  _Mark Lee_?"

"I had... some work to do."

Donghyuck scoffed, ripping off his gloves and glaring at a half-confused Mark before quickly storming over to the cabinet to put them away.

"Youwere the one that went on that mission, you needed the rest more then I did. Why would you do something as stupid as letting me sleep in your room? You were the injured one,  _dumbass_."

Donghyuck shut the cabinet, taking a short breath before turning back around to the underboss, who was fully listening to him.

"I would have been fine with you waking me up and telling me to leave. That would have saved me the embarrassment of having to explain myself to goddamn _Chenle_  who I'm pretty sure thinks we  _slept together_ -"

Donghyuck cut himself off, quickly feeling his own face heating up with  _steaming_  embarrassment. If it was hard to make eye contact with the older boy before, then right now he couldn't bring himself to raise his gaze above Mark's knees.

"Sorry you had to go through that. But, you're mad I let you... get rest?"

Donghyuck pressed his palms to his eyes, wanting so badly to scream, "Just forget about it."

He walked up to Mark, sighing when the older finally caught his gaze. It was like a game of roulette he played with the underboss, it often felt like.

"Just... next time think about yourself," Donghyuck mumbled, eyes casting down to his shoes for a second as silence took over.

"But I was thinking about  _you_. The one who left everything behind. That seems more extravagant and deserving to sleep in a bed then getting beaten up, doesn't it?"

Donghyuck nearly froze, eyes gliding up again, looking over the underboss's facial injuries, trying to respond naturally.

"Not in this situation. My troubles are in the past. You needed the rest more than I did. Just accept it."

Mark shook his head, "But, I was fine."

Donghyuck scoffed, "You always say you're fine."

"Because  _I am_. Why don't you understand my words?"

"Because I don't  _believe_  you," Donghyuck huffed, "Good luck at your meeting,  _Mark_. And be careful, please."

Before he could see the older's reaction to his words, he turned towards the door hastily and began walking away, pushing regrets from his mind.

_"Donghyuck!"_

He froze instantly as if half-expecting or even  _wanting_  Mark to call out to him and stop him. God, why? He sighed under his breath, turning around wordlessly to face the underboss.

"I'll see you later," the older called.

Donghyuck hated that, hated the way his heart fluttered slightly, because  _what the fuck_? It was just a phrase. He almost smiled but caught himself before he could show it across his lips.

"See you later."

And Donghyuck left right after that, out the gym doors and down the hallway, a slowness in his pace. He would die here having a stroke before anything else bad could happen, he predicted.

"Donghyuck-ah?"

The boy looked up at the sound of the voice, meeting the soulful eyes of the boy,  _Jungwoo_ , towards the end of the hallway.

Completely surprised, he blinked, "Yeah, hyung?"

Jungwoo smiled at him, charmingly, "Are you busy?"

When Donghyuck shook his head, Jungwoo walked up to him took his hand to tug him down the hallway, "Good, let's  _hang out_."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi! i hope you are keeping well & hope you enjoyed this chapter! 
> 
> as more and more about this mafia is revealed, certain feelings are too! while donghyuck continues to learn more and more about NEO CITY, markhyuck are also learning more and more about each other as tensions both ease and create. i hope you are enjoying the way things are playing out so far, more is to come <3.
> 
> this break has allowed me to write a lot more, therefore i'm excited about events upcoming in this story!
> 
> if you have any questions or comments, feel free to comment or contact me on twitter (nctisgayy)! i would be more than happy to talk. 
> 
> stay healthy & happy! love you, muah. <3


	18. Gossip, Neighbor Mafias, My Downfall Will Be You.

"So, Donghyuck," Jungwoo's soft, sweet voice floated to his ears like honey, "Tell me about yourself."

Donghyuck,  _at the moment_ , was sitting tightly crisscrossed on a bed across from the elder, inside 127's otherwise completely empty dorm room. How he ended up here, of all places, with of all people after his training? He too questioned that himself.

Donghyuck swallowed the lump in his throat, Jungwoo's light innocent eyes gazing at him with such curiosity. And Donghyuck had  _nearly no idea how to answer his extremely broad statement._

"Well,  _uh_ \- okay," Donghyuck sucked in a short breath.

"I used to live in the heart of Seoul, in an apartment right near my best friend's house for about two years. With my cat. And, uh- I went to high school... but not college. I got kicked-  _well_ , I moved out of my parent's house when I was seventeen, and got a job for a while, and  _yeah_."

It was a story he felt like he's told a  _thousand times and a half_. Sometimes, he actually had to remindhimself that it wasn't just a story. That he  _actually_  lived a life like that, which sounded dumb, but it just felt like it's been  _so long_.

Jungwoo's eyes sparkled, "That's actually so interesting. We don't have anybody here like you."

Jungwoo clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes, "Well, except for Jaehyunnie. But, I'm sure he's already told you all that."

The older boy gave Donghyuck this certain vibe he couldn't really read completely. Jungwoo had a very innocent, yet excitable, sort of adorable aura to his personality. And his words were edged with soft excitement and curiously every time he spoke.

It both slightly scared Donghyuck, but also relaxed him. He hadn't really had any full conversations with the boy, except for the few winks Donghyuck was thrown, and the soft  _hello's_ when he would enter rooms.

But what Donghyuck  _really_  remembered about the boy was when the group had returned from their mission, in the medical room. Jungwoo had been  _fully stabbed_ in the thigh on their mission, and needed stitches upon their arrival. 

"Are you feeling better, by the way? I saw you were... badly injured."

Jungwoo's big smile simmered down but didn't leave his face completely as he nodded his head, dark blue hair falling in his eyes.

"I'm getting there. Thank you for asking," the boy replied softly, making Donghyuck's heart ache for him slightly.

"Mark told me before you were the 'person on the inside'? What does that mean?"

Jungwoo smiled again, giving a little sigh, "Yeah, I was. It's just like spying. I thought the gang didn't suspect me, and that I was blending in very well, but it turns out they somehow  _knew_ all along."

Jungwoo cast his eyes down to his lap, where his fingers were playing with the bedding, "A couple of men surrounded me, and forced me to disarm. Then they attacked me. Since I was greatly outnumbered I couldn't fight them all. They took my earpiece and tracker off, which  _completely_  cut my ties with the team."

Donghyuck was fully listening, hardly comprehending this happened just four days ago.  _And they did this shit all the time, apparently._

"They wanted information out of me, about the mafia and when they were planning to break in. But believe me, I can be  _damn good_ at keeping my mouth shut. They didn't enjoy that, so they tied me up and were about to resort to  _beating_ the information out of me."

Jungwoo suddenly grinned, "That's when they heard the gunshots, and I  _knew_  the rest of the team had just busted in. Long story short, as the gang men were distracted, I tried escaping and earned myself a sweet dagger. In the thigh. Didn't feel too nice, honestly."

Donghyuck clenched his teeth, trying to force the image out of his head. It was hard to wrap his head around that this seemingly innocent boy  _fights in a mafia. Like, what the fuck?_

He spoke a little too soon.

"The gang members were some huge motherfuckers, literally built like war tanks. But, honestly, they were all reallyfucking ugly. Our team _definitely_  held the visuals. I only saw one semi-decent looking dude out of like... forty dudes. Too bad he couldn't have been the one to tie me up," Jungwoo pouted slightly, making Donghyuck's jaw drop slightly.

The older laughed at his reaction, "I didn't  _really_ mean that. A minute later, my knight in shining armor found me. Saving me,  _again_. Lucas isn't as stupid as he looks when it comes to... well, me."

_Oh, so there was another couple in this place? But Lucas, the tall hot guy, of all people?_ Donghyuck tried to imagine Jungwoo and him together, not really making a connection, but nodding along like he understood anyways.

"So, you and Lucas are-"

"He's mine, yes."

Donghyuck blinked, "Does that mean you're dating?"

Jungwoo burst out into soft laughter, his face lighting up with amusement as he leaned forward to pinch Donghyuck's cheeks,  _very much_  to the younger's surprise.

"You're so adorable, Donghyuck. Yes, you could say we're dating," Jungwoo grinned, shaking his head softly and whispering, "Even though he's a little  _stupid_  sometimes."

Donghyuck chuckled slightly, a little flushed at the sudden affection, but he was almost  _one-hundred_ percent sure Jungwoo acted like this with everybody. He naturally had a very flirty personality.

The elder's smile grew a bit bigger, "Say, tell me moreabout you. What about your dating life? Been in any relationships?"

That's when Donghyuck's nerves  _really_ stood on edge, blinking a few times to keep himself from looking too shocked at the question.

He and Felix had  _always_  made fun of people being in relationships, constantly saying " _men were trash"_ and _"didn't deserve them"._ On the other hand, though, they would also constantly cry about being lonely when they watched love stories develop in dramas.

" _Uh_ \- no. I mean, I haven't really had a  _serious_ relationship before-"

"But you've been in something like one?"

"I guess,  _kinda?_ -"

"With who?"

"Well, it was this stupid thing in high school sophomore year that didn't really matter..." Donghyuck trailed off, watching as the boy shifted closer to him, innocent eyes now wide.

"Oh! Tell me! I want to know."

Donghyuck couldn't help but  _sigh_ , but not at the other boy. He found Jungwoo to be sort of sweet and refreshing, even when he was being a little nosey. Donghyuck honestly didn't mind it, though.

"This...  _guy_ -"

"I  _fucking_  knew it!"

Donghyuck blinked as Jungwoo gave him the biggest grin, the elder reaching out to cup both his cheeks in his hands.

"Welcome to the club, kid! Doyoung  _also_  now owes me a drink," Jungwoo stated proudly like he had won the lottery.

Donghyuck forgot how to form words as Jungwoo let go of his face, patting his head.  _They bet on his... sexuality? That's something he and Felix used to do to TV characters, or people they saw in the streets._

"Was it really that obvious?" Donghyuck questioned out loud, genuinely asking Jungwoo who scoffed.

"I have an eye for it, it wasn'tyour fault."

Donghyuck thought for a second, wondering about the  _other_  relationships within this mafia. He was  _positive_ there was activity going on with at least some of them, with the  _looks_  they gave each other. And he knew there was more, but he just didn't know who.

"Who else is in a relationship?"

Jungwoo gave him a playful smirk, looking around the room dramatically before leaning in close.

"Well, you can't tell  _anybody_ -" the elder paused, his face falling, "Actually, I don't really care who you tell, you'll end up knowing eventually. Taeyong and Jaehyun have been together since the  _dinosaur ages_  as if that wasn't already obvious."

Donghyuck held back a laugh as he nodded along, Jungwoo running a hand through his hair as if this was stressing him out.

"Johnny and Ten,  _those horny fuckers_ , are together. Their love story is very interesting, however, you'll learn about it at some point. You'll see Ten get enough alcohol in him to tell you."

_Ah, that actually made a lot of sense._

"Yuta and of course  _Sicheng_ -"

The door to the dorm  _flung_ open in an instant, making both boys sitting on the bed jumpout of their own skin. It was just Johnny, to their surprise, looking effortlessly handsome in his suit that Donghyuck realized matched Mark's. Maybe he was going to that meetingtoo.

"What's going on?" Johnny asked casually, walking over to the desk.

Jungwoo smirked again, cutely, laying back on the bed, "We were just  _gossiping_  about you, hyung."

"Oh... I see. All good things?"

"Oh yeah, of course," Donghyuck replied right away, turning to Jungwoo, both of them snickering silently.

"Don't get into too much trouble. Donghyuck, I'm warning you, he's a little shit," Johnny mumbled, making the younger cover his mouth to hide his laugh as Jungwoo hurled a pillow towards Johnny on his way out.

"I am not, you asshole!"

You could hear Johnny's laugh even after he slipped out the door, shutting it behind him once again.

He turned back towards Jungwoo, who was pouting, "He's lying, trust me."

Donghyuck rolled his eyes, smiling, "I  _totally_ believe you."

-

After spending lots more time with Jungwoo, a few  _hours_ , at least, just conversing back and forth and laughing until his stomach hurt, he was in a  _much better_ mood.

The older boy was  _extremely_  entertaining and enjoyable to talk to. Donghyuck found himself getting lost in the loud moments and acting  _completely_  himself like he was when he was with all of Dream. His own chaotic energy matched Jungwoo's better than he ever would have guessed.

"The boys should be back from their meeting soon," Jungwoo mumbled, sitting up in the bed and stretching his arms above his head.

"Who did they meet?" Donghyuck questioned, sitting up as well.

" _EXO_ , they're our neighbor mafia, which basically just means we're all friends. We've always been close with them, long before I was even apart of Neo City."

The elder blew his bangs, "I would have gone too, but Yuta was up my ass about this wound  _even though_ I can walk on it. So I had to stay here."

Donghyuck nodded like he totally understood.  _Other mafias? Oh, right. This shit was like a whole community. He wondered briefly how his best friend was doing in all of this._

"Speak of the devils, I can hear them."

-

"I'm fucking  _starving_."

The seven men were now settled back in the van after a three-hour-long meeting with their neighbor mafia,  _EXO_ , to discuss recent activities and exchange information regarding missions, profits, clients, and business stuff alike.

Taeyong had been close with  _Junmyeon_ , EXO's boss, since the very beginning. Naturally, their members also became close, and although they were two separate mafias working for different reasons, they never  _missed_  a chance to get together. Whether they were discussing business matters or telling jokes and stories, it was always refreshing to see other people they could trust. 

"Can we pick up some food on the way home?" Johnny asked from the front seat, Doyoung  _audibly_ sighing from the driver's.

"We won't have time. Jaehyun, Chenle, and Jisung should be back by now," Mark cut in right away, sending sighs and huffs throughout the van.

The underboss stole a glance at his brother, who was gazing out the window, eyes glossed over with something Mark couldn't really read.  _His sibling seemed off today. He'd have to ask him about it later._

"Say, Mark," Yuta nudged him with his foot, knocking him out of his own head, "What the hell was that thing about Donghyuck sleeping in your room?"

And  _just_  like that, every pair of eyes in the van were on him, even Doyoung's in the viewfinder.  _So, Donghyuck wasn't kidding when he said Chenle found out. When Chenle knows, everybody eventually does within the next two hours._

The underboss just shook his head, clearing his throat, "We were talking last night and he fell asleep. That's it."

_No, he wasn't that flustered._

Johnny's laugh loudly resonated from the front seat, " _Fell asleep_  my ass."

Mark raised his eyebrows in disbelief, glancing around at all the eyes on him, realizing they all didn't seem to believe him  _either_.

"That's literally it. I don't know what Chenle put in your heads, but that's  _all_  that happened-"

"Okay, but Renjun told me Donghyuck came to you last night to help you with your...  _injuries_ ," Taeil mumbled, making Yuta burst into shameless laughter.

"Yo, seriously?" Yuta asked, eyebrows raised, a shit-eating grin on his face that made Mark want to suffocate him.

_Of course. After all, it was his fault that he let Donghyuck stay. He should have expected questions like this._

" _Nothing happened_. We were just talking and it was pretty late, and he happened to fall asleep. So stop acting childish," Mark stated firmly, often feeling like he was dealing with a bunch of adult versions of Dream.

Taeyong caught his eye, however, and he too was raising an eyebrow at him. Mark just heavily rolled his eyes, resting his head back against the side of the van and staring at the ceiling, hoping they could just return to base soon.

_That city boy really was fucking with his life, wasn't he? Mark Lee never would have expected this to be his downfall._

-

By chance, the team returned around the same time as Jaehyun and the two youngest did from their mission. It was a loud entrance of chatter, cheers, and Chenle's easily identifiable  _screeching_. Donghyuck could hear them from all the way from the 127 dorms, making Jungwoo roll his eyes heavily at the noise.

"They're a bunch of animals. I know Johnny said  _I'm_ crazy, but the really annoying ones are all of them."

As if on cue, the door to the 127 dorm flung open, revealing a highly-energetic group of adult men who all filed into the room in a bunch of laughs. Most of them were adults, anyways.

"Lee Donghyuck!"

Before the city boy could comprehend who it was, two boys were tackling him to the bed and  _hugging_ him so tight he could barely breathe.

"Don't kill him, kids!" Jungwoo scolded from the top of the bed, Jisung and Chenle only erupting into loud laughter.

Donghyuck laughed breathlessly along with them, literally unable to move his limbs as his body failed to support the weight of both boys.

"How was your mission?" He managed to wheeze out once Jisung removed his elbow from his ribcage.

"It was fucking great-!"

"Language!" Doyoung snapped.

"It was freaking great! It was so nice to be outside, I forgot how much I missed the sky and trees-"

"But then Chenle wouldn't shut up about it and we almost had to duck tape his mouth shut," Jisung explained gruffly, removing himself from Donghyuck and yanking Chenle off as well, pinching his arm.

"Ow! Rude!"

"Chenle, Jisung, did you check in with Kun yet?" Jaehyun's voice rang, Donghyuck watching the older enter the dorm as he sat up, stretching his now-crippled back.

"Not yet, hyung."

"Then go do it. Now, please."

The two youngest nodded and were soon scurrying off into the hallway in a muse of chatter. Donghyuck smiled as he watched them go, glancing up at the rest of the men changing and talking. Before he could get up to leave, he caught an exchange in expression between the Boss and Jaehyun from across the room. Taeyong easily didn't look as excitable and talkative as the rest of his mafia. In fact, he looked quite the opposite as Jaehyun dropped his serious gaze and turned the corner, heading into the bathroom and disappearing.

_What was that?_

"Donghyuck,  _c'mon_. Let's go eat," Jungwoo commanded, all of a sudden standing up and pulling the other boy to his feet. 

"We have to get the good food before they beat us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RIDIN' SENT ME INTO O R B I T. go stream!!!
> 
> i hope you enjoyed loves! i personally feel like jungwoo and hyuck have a LOT in common personality-wise irl, so i thought i'd also establish that relationship in this fic too.  
> & ofc markhyuck DO be gettin' themselves into those scandals haha. ;)
> 
> stay tuned for some ACTION-PACKED and RISKGAY chapters!
> 
> for now, i hope you are staying healthy, happy, & lovely. my dms on twitter (nctisgayy) are always open!
> 
> love you all, and thank you,  
> muah. <3


	19. Drunk Stories, Too Late, A Change.

"And I told her,  _I literally work for the mafia_. This woman thought I was joking!"

The Dreamies were on the floor at this point, stomachs hurting so badly with laughter and short wheezes. Jungwoo had a hand covering the lower half of his face, forehead leaning against Donghyuck's shoulder as the tallest man in the room, Lucas  _(who Donghyuck learned his actual name was Yukhei)_ , stood in front of all of them, dramatically reenacting a story.

"He tells this story  _every fucking time_ he drinks," Jungwoo complained, shaking his head as Donghyuck  _completely_  failed to quiet his own laughter that mixed with his unit's.

"Shush... let me finish," Yukhei scolded, clearing his throat before straightening his posture and gazing hard at the imaginary person beside him.

"She stops laughing and she goes...  _wait really_? And then I said-"

"Can I say it this time? Please, hyung?" Chenle's head popped up from the pile on the floor.

Yukhei just grinned, nodding, "Take it away, Lele."

The second youngest one arose from the bodies and pillows, red-faced and eyes curled into crescent moons from laughing way too much. Donghyuck could only watch, the little bit of alcohol he drank churning in his system, making the atmosphere pleasantly more amusing.

"Then hyung asked her,  _why did the mafia cross the road_?"

Yukhei raised his voice ten octaves, in a drunken attempt to sound like a female, "I don't know, why?"

_"Forget about it!"_

Donghyuck swore the room could have  _imploded_ with the chaotic high-pitched laughter that radiated from everybody's mouths. While Jungwoo contemplated his relationship with Yukhei, Donghyuck was gripping onto his arm and shaking him like a piñata while  _crippling_  with laughter.

"You are going to poison their  _minds_ , Wong Yukhei," Jungwoo huffed, shaking his head negatively at his boyfriend who was grinning like he had just cured cancer.

"Can't poison what's already been corrupted, Woo-hyung!"

"Yeah, can't corrupt the corrupted. Or the  _corrupters_. Which is us."

Jungwoo just rolled his eyes at Jaemin and Chenle's comments, passing a little glare to Yukhei who sunk into the couch beside Donghyuck, sipping down whatever alcoholic substance was in his cup.

"You shouldn't have let them drink this much. If Mark finds out he'll  _beat_  you."

Donghyuck couldn't stick around for the couple's argument before Renjun's hand was grabbing his leg and tugging him down to the floor with the rest of them.

They all resided in Dream's dorm after having eaten with the rest of the mafia. Even the youngest were allowed wine at dinner, which Donghyuck was  _more than_  grateful for. Not that alcoholism was a good thing to resort to, it was just nice to have a drink. Although, Jaemin and Jeno, being the  _sneaky shits_ they were, somehow distracted Doyoung long enough to steal an extra bottle of red wine from behind the bar.

When Jungwoo caught them red-handed the hallway, he quickly insisted that they all couldn't drink alone. Chenle had called him " _the cool-hyung_ ", and Donghyuck took note of that for next time. Although Yukhei had found them sneaking into Dream's dorm, so Jungwoo just dragged him along with them. Donghyuck low-key had forgotten in the atmosphere of dirty jokes and loud laughs that they were a couple. So now, here they all were.

"It's so rare we get to drink," Renjun whispered to him like it was top secret, cheeks tinted a light shade of pink from the alcohol buzzing through his system.

Donghyuck grinned cheekily, "Must have made an acceptation because of me."

"Yeah, you  _wish_."

"Donghyuck-ah! Come here, I want to wrestle."

"Chenle, address him correctly, you shit! He's your hyung!" Renjun scolded, flicking the other Chinese boy in the arm.

"Ah, there he goes. Junnie was always the nagging-type of tipsy," Jaemin huffed, who was lying flat on his back, sprawled out like a motionless starfish in the middle of the room.

"Yeah? What type are you then?" Donghyuck challenged, just catching the smirk hanging off of Jaemin's lips.

"He's the  _lazy_ type. Oh wait, he doesn't have to be drunk for that," Renjun said loudly, earning a jaw drop from Jaemin.

"I'll kill you, Huang. You better watch out."

"Donghyuck Lee!"

Like a magnet, once again, Chenle had sprung on him from behind, Donghyuck's reflexes being too slow under the influence to react. He succumbed to defeat for a second, sitting hunched over as Chenle clung to his back.

"Fight back you coward!"

"You're heavy as fuck, Lele!"

"I am not! You're just weak. A weak little piece of-"

Before Chenle could even breathe, Donghyuck had mustered up every baby ounce of strength withheld in his body to sit up and wrestle the younger off his back. Once freed, he tackled the boy who was laughing his head off, allowing himself to go down under Donghyuck's weight. He was grinning.

"Don't test me. I fought off a creepy old dude at a gas station one time. Plus, I used to make grown men cry," Donghyuck gloated like it was no problem, sending Chenle into more giggles while the whole room tuned in.

Chenle spoke between laughs, "What the hell do you mean you make  _grown men cry_...?"

Donghyuck removed himself from the younger, swaying a little as he stumbled to his feet, standing in front of everybody confidently.

"You know why I make them cry? Because men ain't  _shit_ , but somehow I'm still attracted to them. The  _stupid, asshole, dorky ones_. And it makes me so mad because honestly, you can see deep down that they care  _way_ too much. But, unfortunately, that blocks them from caring about themselves. It's like having a heart that only beats to keep others alive. Then what? Am I supposed to care then? No, I don't have to. But I do! And that's what  _really_  fucking pisses me off."

Donghyuck didn't realize what he said until seconds after the final sentence spewed out of his mouth. Coming back to reality, Jungwoo's eyes were blown wide, and all of Dream was looking at him like he was some sort of godsend.  _A prime example as to why he doesn't drink even the littlest bit around other people._ _Felix would be bullying him about it right about now._

If keeping his mouth shut sober was hard, around alcohol, he couldn't ever  _shut the fuck up_. A heavy silence fell over the room as every single pair of eyes shifted to the door behind Donghyuck.

He was never the  _luckiest_  person ever, Felix was the first to call him out for it. Thus explaining why when he turned around and saw  _Mark_  standing semi-annoyed in the doorway, Donghyuck swore he spun with the Earth's gravitational pull around the sun.

He heard muffled giggles escape from Chenle's mouth behind him, while Donghyuck's eyes locked with Mark's intense, brown-eyed gaze.  _He only prayed_ _to_ _whatever higher power existed that he hadn't been standing there for long._

"What are you doing?" the underboss asked, his voice firm as his eyes flicked around the room to Jungwoo and Yukhei on the couch, and then to the Dreamies sprawled out everywhere on the floor.

Jungwoo spoke up calmly, "We're just hanging out, Marky. Thought I'd spend some time with-"

"Have they been  _drinking_?"

Mark stormed further into the room, Donghyuck finally regaining his senses long enough to move out of his way. Mark seized the nearly empty wine bottle just barely sticking out from under the couch.  _So much for trying to hide it._ Donghyuck watched from a distance while all of Dream slowly began to sit up, eyes wide with that  _we're so fucked_ kind of look.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Jungwoo? You  _know_  they can't drink this much. And at a time like this?" Mark finally snapped, voice edged with frustration as he gripped the empty bottle.

"Hyung, it wasn't his fault. It was ours. We stole it..." Jaemin mumbled quickly, eyes casting to the floor when their leader looked over at them.

Jungwoo opened his mouth to speak, but Mark beat him to it without even looking, "Doesn't matter. You  _all_  know better. Get out,  _now_."

"Hyung, please calm down-" Jisung began to speak, but Jungwoo cut him off this time.

"No, your hyung is right. It's my fault. I shouldn't have let you," Jungwoo shook his head, clearly not meaning it as he stood up from the couch, Yukhei doing the same.

Mark watched them with a stern gaze lining his once-soft eyes, standing aside so they could leave. Donghyuck watched the scene play out, biting his lip as Jungwoo glanced back at all of them.

"Goodnight, kids."

A series of  _goodnight hyung_ 's carried from the youngest members, while Jungwoo's eyes carried over to Donghyuck's, giving him a little smile before he was out the door following his boyfriend. 

What was left from the previous lively environment was now dead and replaced with an eery silence. Donghyuck wished with every part of him that Mark hadn't ever come in.  _What was with him?_

"All of you, get to bed."

The underboss's words were filled with intense sincerity as his eyes never once flicked back down to his unit, who were stumbling to their feet and towards their beds. The lightness and excitable energy in each one of them had bled out and was replaced with hollowing desolation.

Donghyuck swallowed against the dryness of his throat, glancing back over to Mark who, without making any further illustrations, was beginning his walk back out the door. Donghyuck glanced back at Dream, who had their heads hanging low, quiet as could be. The silence made his stomach turn, so Donghyuck turned towards the exit, following Mark out into the hallway while closing the door behind himself.

" _Hey_ ," Donghyuck called out to him before he could bite his tongue.

Mark stopped and barley turned his way, but it was just enough for Donghyuck to take the cue that he was listening.

"They're still  _kids_. And I know you care about them, but they're going to do stuff like this. Whether you like it or not."

Mark let out a small scoff, fully turning towards Donghyuck with a face of slight resentment.

"Donghyuck, you really don't know yet how little mistakes like that could cost us big. I would think twice before you speak out. I don't expect you to understand yet, but soon you will."

Donghyuck's lips parted in surprise, eyebrows furrowing as he crossed his arms.

"Then why weren't you there with them, if it could cost you that big? I mean, you can't get mad at them when you're responsible for them,  _right_?"

Nothing was stopping the tyrant of words a little more sober Donghyuck  _maybe_  could have concealed if he focused hard enough. Now, there was no barrier between him and Mark Lee.

And the underboss's eyes registered negatively, "Because I taught them better than that. They know the consequences of their actions-"

"Well, _clearly_  they didn't listen to you. They're still young, like me and you. Like me, at least. You seemed to have grown-up _far_  before them."

Donghyuck watched Mark's grip tighten on the empty wine bottle in his fist. He knew he was further agitating Mark, but this wasn't something Donghyuck wanted to just let go to just have it bother him later.  _He just didn't get what Mark's deal was._

"I can't do this with you right now. You should go to bed as well."

Donghyuck let out a huff, "Well, you're gonna have to for quite a while, Mark. I'm here because of you. And if you would just drop your  _'nothing can hurt me'_  persona, you'd realize a few things."

Donghyuck shook his head, heart thundering in his chest and in his ears.  _Walk away, Donghyuck. Just walk away._

He was losing his breath quicker than he realized, "And, you know,  _just_ when I was starting to warm up to you..." He trailed off, glancing down at the floor.

"You go ahead and make me rethink everything," Mark finished for him, with very little hesitation.

Donghyuck looked back up at older, astonished and dazed. But Mark wasn't even looking at him anymore, turning the bottle over and over again in his hands, eyes down and unmoving.  _Shit, he didn't even seem irritated anymore._ Donghyuck shook the heavy, excessively crushing feeling off his shoulders, mind thinking of everything but nothing at the same time.  _He didn't even know what to say that seemed rational._

"I don't know what you're thinking, most of the time," the underboss finally found the will to continue, "And maybe that's for the best. I don't think you understand us, either, which isn't good because-"

"It's out of your control? Because I'm out of your control?" Donghyuck felt the weight fall back on him again, "It's not  _them_ I don't understand. It's  _you_."

Donghyuck felt like he wanted to cry, but he just  _couldn't_. The tears didn't come when he expected them to. Hopefully, it stayed that way and spared him the very little pride he had left in him.

"You know what? You're right, Hyuck," Mark walked closer to him, so they were standing about a foot apart, "You're exactly right. Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Donghyuck couldn't hold his hard gaze anymore, so he dropped it to his feet, sensing something was coming. And suddenly, the dreaded overwhelming urge to start sobbing sunk in.  _He didn't want to keep fighting Mark on every little thing. He couldn't live his life like this._ But, something about Mark always made him too curious,  _too_  invested, and then upset when he couldn't figure it out.

"You make me mad because I can't control you. You irritate me because you don't listen. You say your opinion all the time when you don't need to. You're loud, you talk a lot, and you don't ever shut up. But you surprise me with the littlest things, all the fucking time."

Donghyuck squeezed his eyes shut as he hung his head, fingernails digging into his own palms. He felt every single one of his emotions he's been bottling up stack up in his chest, making it harder to control. For the past two  _long_  months, he's managed to get by in one piece. Along the way, he's stuffed all of his sadness, anger, and grief deep within himself. Thoughts about his past, thoughts of his best friend, of his parents, who probably didn't feel a single pang of heartbreak that their son had suddenly disappeared-  _everything_. He stowed it all away and held it hostage inside himself, so it wouldn't hurt him.

Donghyuck lifted his head to meet eyes with Mark's,  _"Are you done?"_

The older's eyes searched his eyes, deeply, as if trying to find the answer to something. The tears collected so quickly in Donghyuck's though, racing to blink them back.  _Why did he always succumb to crying in front of Mark like this?_ But, he couldn't look away or hide his face now because Mark's gaze held him there, and he was easily seeing everything Donghyuck was showing him.

Mark said so quietly,  _"I'm sorry."_

Donghyuck felt like his chest was going to cave in, or his lungs would stop working, and his heart would stop pumping blood. He was so choked up, and he couldn't even open his mouth the tiniest bit to let out a simple sigh.

Donghyuck had convinced himself, for a little while, that he could  _do this_. That he was built as strong and as capable as Felix had told him he was. And he pretended, for the past month, that he was this person who could keep their chin above the water. Yet here he was now,  _drowning_ in an ocean he couldn't cross.

And everything, every single little thing, was always traced back to  _Mark_. He finally looked up at the older boy to meet his eyes for the millionth time.

"I  _just_ -" He barely whispered.

As if the wrong wire was cut, Donghyuck  _finally_ broke, drowning in everything he's been holding back. The tears seeped out the brims of his eyes, with no sign of stopping or slowing down. Before they could completely blur his vision, he caught sight of Mark's eyes  _flashing_ with panic and concern.

Donghyuck's breathing was in a big knot, caught in his throat, "I... can't do t-this..."

He was taking in shaky breaths, panicked eyes suddenly searching the floor around them for  _something_  to ground himself. Anything at all that could provide him the comfort and serenity he so desperately needed.

"Donghyuck."

_If he hadn't left Felix's that night none of this would have happened. So, what will he do now? Sit and wait for the impossible to happen? Feel this way for the rest of his life?_

"Donghyuck."

" _Mark_ -"

Donghyuck suddenly felt his body being pulled in close by a tight hand on his wrist, forcing him to crash helplessly onto the shoulder right in front of him. He hadn't  _fully_  realized what just happened at first, but the warm body that had just welcomed him was  _exactly_ what he needed.

And Mark Lee, who didn't know what else he could  _possibly_  do about the distressing situation unfolding right before his eyes, initiated it all. So he just stood there in silence as Donghyuck's hands gripped the front of the underboss's shirt. He let Donghyuck press against him as the younger took deep breaths, closing his eyes.

_It was the change Donghyuck needed. This was grounding him._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed this emotional chapter! i'm going to be crying when Punch comes out anyways.
> 
> you will see some new things (no pun intended) start to come with the next few updates. please look forward to it! and thank you so much for your endless support, it means the world.
> 
> & i'm sorry it took me forever to update, quarantine and mental illness do not mix very well haha.
> 
> on that note, please make sure you are taking care of yourselves and checking up on your loved ones! 
> 
> love you, muah <3


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